The Monster
by GrandDuchess25
Summary: Rukia is a poverty stricken girl that runs away from her life at home, and finds herself in a mysterious castle. Home to the country's legendary "monster". Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Hello! GrandDuchess here with my very first FanFic. Of course it's a ByaRuki fanfic because they are my absolute favorite OTP. I just find them absolutely fascinating.

But anyway. As my first Fanfic I would really appreciate reviews on how to make my story better. Critiques are really appreciated not stupid reviews such as 'this fic sucks'. Because really? that seriously is the only opinion you can make? I really want to know _why_ you do or do not like it. Please.

This is rated "M" for later chapters, but I haven't planned that far.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights to Bleach or it's characters.

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The crisp night air stung Rukia's cheeks, but she continued to look up at the starry sky dreaming of faraway places. Every night she would come to this hill and watch the sunset pass the horizon and the distant lights make their dazzling appearance.

The stars have always caught Rukia's attention. They were mysterious and beautiful, and they provided an escape for Rukia; an escape from this horrible place.

The hour was drawing near; she knew that she had to leave, no matter how badly she wanted to stay. She stood from her place and looked up one more time, as if it were going to be her last. After a few more minutes she started walking, walking to hell.

Upon arrival, she had already started hearing the screaming and yelling.

"Father's home." she said weakly. Her father had a nasty habit of being drunk; and with it, angry. His aggression knew no bounds, especially with the boost of alcohol in his system. She hesitantly walked to the doorway and grabbed the handle and slid it open.

"Where have you been?" His anger radiated off of him like waves. Gently, Rukia stepped inside and closed the sliding door behind her, as if closing it too hard would've been enough to set him off.

"I have been on the hill, watching the sky, father." Honesty was best on nights like these. She turned to face him. His eyes were a lot like her own, a deep shade of purple, but much more intense when he was angry like this. His face was rigid and harsh in expression, and showed all of the hardships that he has been through in his life, all of the poverty, the grief, the anger; everything.

"Why were you on that stupid hill? You need to be **here**, with your mother, helping with the womanly chores; not dawdling around like a child." His voice reverberated with tension; she could tell he was trying not to completely lose it.

"I sincerely apologize, father. I meant no disrespect towards you or mother." She bowed low, to show her sincerity and respect, even though she had none. She hated her father, and her mother for that matter. Mother was weak; constantly she was defending the waste of space that was her husband, and her mother knew it. But what could she have done, being married was sacred, the woman couldn't leave, the woman had to comply with her spouse or else punishment was enacted.

Rukia's mother was standing in the corner of the living area; bruises, bold against her pale ivory skin, covered her arms and lower legs. Her hair looked a lot like her own, with a single black lock down the center of her face. Her dark blue eyes were wide and she was shaking in fear, she always was, even her breath came out shaky. Nothing ever gave her mother peace; the only emotion Rukia ever saw from her face was fear.

"Che' you aren't to do it again, you are to be here at a decent hour. I can only **imagine** what kind of rumors are spreading around the village! 'Look! There goes the village_ whore_!' Do you want our family to suffer that shame!?" Rukia stayed silent, head bowed low. "DO YOU!?" He came after her, hand raised, and Rukia braced herself for the inevitable blow. His clenched hand pounded into her skull, and as she fell to the ground he grabbed a handful of her raven black hair and pulled, hard. Her scream couldn't be stifled and when it came out, it came out piercing.

Rukia often thought that he hit her out of frustration; frustration for not being able to work, frustration for his poverty, and frustration at his lack of control. He had no control, not over his drinking, which made him unable to work, and especially over his anger. He tried to control it, there were moments where he seemed to keep himself in check, but it would vanish in a second, and he would resort to what he knew best; beating down his problems.

Father wasn't a very large man, about average in size; however he was much stronger than he looked. Just from experience, he knew where to lay a punch for the best damage, knew where the skin would show the worst bruises. Even when he was drunk, he knew never to hit our faces, but, he hit where it hurt the most.

Rukia dealt with the blows, one by one. They kept coming; to the stomach, to her arms, her back, her legs, everywhere. He wouldn't stop. Normally it wouldn't last this long, but on some nights, nights like this, it lasted for what seemed like hours. Minutes would drag on painfully. Rukia would only keep one thing on her mind to keep her from screaming out in agony; and that was the stars and the wonder that would follow them. She would think about other worlds, with beautiful sights, and sounds, with different people and cultures. She would find herself longing to be saved from this hell, even if it meant death. She hated this life that she lived in. Why had she been chosen to live in it? What had she done to deserve it?

After he was done with his punishment, he stumbled away, grumbling to himself about more sake. When he found himself back to his bedroom Rukia's mother came to her from the corner. She knelt by Rukia's side, and gently set a hand on Rukia's arm. Rukia barely moved; she felt completely exhausted and sore beyond belief. When she finally had enough strength to stand, she started to get up with a grunt. "Why must you do this to yourself?" She heard her mother ask. "**_I _**did this?" Rukia scoffed at her mother. Sometimes it was a little surreal at how devoted the woman was to her psychotic husband. "You know what I mean, if you would just do what you were told and didn't constantly go against him he wouldn't act this way." Her mother's reasoning was beyond logic to Rukia. It was denial. "Yeah, you look like a perfect example of that so-called strategy." She responded with complete sarcasm. Then there came a slap. Rukia didn't see it coming. It struck her right across the face. The pain was fleeting, and nothing compared to her father's physical contact. So she just stayed silent and rose to her feet. She felt weak. Her legs moved mechanically to her room. She winced when she raised her hand to the door to slide it open, and as she walked in, the tears started to sting her eyes.

Rukia's mother remained on the floor, her hand to her mouth, trying unsuccessfully, to cover up her sobs.

* * *

Yay done with the first chapter! I will hopefully have the second posted soon. OH and Byakuya will be showing up here shortly. Don't you worry. :D

Please review/comment. I really want to know what you think.

`GrandDuchess XD


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey Guys! GrandDuchess again with the second chapter to The Monster! **

**Too soon? Haha I didn't have much going on today so I thought that updating another chapter would be good. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed previously! I am very grateful and it actually got me really motivated.**

**But please, keep reviewing! I love to see comments and that people are actually reading this! XD**

**I also saw that people wanted the chapters to be longer, and I tried to make it longer, I think that this is more average in size now. Haha. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the bleach characters.**

**Now read and enjoy!**

* * *

Rukia awoke to a dull pain covering her body. It was a familiar feeling, this painful ache. She slowly sat up from the futon to fully examine her injuries. She was too tired to do so the night before, after her 'punishment'.

When she pulled apart her clothing she saw the bruises marring her body. They were bright in color and sensitive to the touch. Her stomach suffered the most damage. She pressed on her ribs to make sure they weren't broken and jolted in pain. She tried her best to shield herself from her father's wrath but sometimes it was futile. "_Shit."_ She whispered almost inaudibly. Her legs could barely move when she willed them too, but she got up, finally.

Keeping her weight up with damaged legs was proving to be difficult when they were so swollen and sore. Her arms didn't look too bad compared to everything else but she decided that wearing something longer would be best.

After twenty minutes of painfully getting dressed into a cleaner yukata, Rukia left her bedroom to join her parents for breakfast.

* * *

There was one thing that Rukia had always prided herself in, and that was hiding her weakness. She refused to show her father how much he affected her. Refused to let him see how much pain she really was in. Because on some level, she knew, no matter how disgusting it sounded, that he _likes_ it. He enjoys the control he has over his timid wife, over his younger daughter. Probably because of his lack of control over himself, he over compensates for it, in any way that he can.

Rukia hated him. Hated the subtle look in his eye when he beat her mother; or when he beat her. It was almost a lust. He lusted for the screams, the panic… the _fear_.

That's why Rukia never wanted to scream, never wanted to show the jolts when he got too close, never wanted to show the fear in her own eyes when she saw him. It disgusted her, how much she really did fear him. Rukia felt weak in his presence, when he was nothing but a coward.

"Well, if it isn't the family moocher. Finally awake are we?" Her father looked up from his plate and stared right at her.

"What happened to your face?"

If one didn't know him well, they would've thought him calm.

But it was the exact opposite.

Rukia's mother went still. Her blood rushed from her face, making her paler than what she already was. She made eye contact with Rukia, but only for a second.

Rukia bowed low.

"I am sorry father. I must not have protected myself as well as I should have when receiving my punishment last night. Please forgive me." Rukia said it almost mechanically. She wasn't doing it to help her mother; she did it because she didn't want him to snap. Rukia couldn't deal with anymore beatings, not for awhile anyway. She's going to have to be extra careful not to set him off.

He said nothing.

Rukia sat down at her designated place at the table and gracefully grabbed a small amount of rice.

* * *

Shame.

That was the expression Rukia saw in her mother's eyes. However, she didn't care; she wasn't even mad at her mother for hitting her last night. No, she wasn't mad. She was just disgusted.

Is it normal for parents to not protect their kin? Never before has her mother defended Rukia for the brutality which was her father. Not once. Not even inconspicuously. She never grabbed his attention from Rukia; more often than not she sent it towards Rukia. It hurt Rukia that her mother was like this, in more ways than one.

Because Rukia felt alone.

Completely alone.

In this hellish place that she was supposed to call home.

This was no home. This was far from a home.

She needed to get away, to get very far away. She knew this, but leaving would be difficult. Especially when her father watched everywhere she went, who she was with, when she was out. Her best bet was when he left to go to the local sake bar to drown out his pains and sorrows and wouldn't come home until early the next morning, drunk, very drunk.

She glanced up at her two parents. Her mother was quietly chewing her food and looking solemnly down, refusing anymore eye contact with either her husband or daughter, and her father sat silent, content with his tea and rice.

* * *

After Rukia was finished eating, she excused herself from the table and brought her dirty dishes into the kitchen for washing. She overheard her parents talking in the dining room.

"This rice is overcooked. You should learn to cook better with the things I bring back to you, woman."

"I'm so sorry, my dear husband; I didn't mean to feed you anything unpleasant."

"Just don't do it again." Her father said rigidly.

Rukia could hear him get up from his place and walk away from the dining area, '_Is he leaving?' _she thought to herself. Normally he wouldn't leave until later in the day. '_He may have work. Pray he does, so he isn't here as often.' _

When the familiar dark aura had finally left the small home; Rukia set about doing her daily chores.

She didn't mind doing them; they actually helped keep her mind at ease. And on a normal day, they weren't too difficult. But with her this sore they might be a little bit more difficult than she was going to ignore it; like she always does. She grabbed the pail of water and rags and started cleaning the floors.

It had been three hours since he left. However, those three hours were of peace, and not of terror; which was always welcomed in this home. Rukia and her mother never spoke to each other during this time. It was actually quite common for them not to speak for days. Rukia couldn't handle speaking to her sometimes. She just got too frustrated at her cowardice.

Then there came a pounding at the door.

Rukia sat up from where she was and looked towards the shoji doors. A large silhouette covered the square screens . She didn't really want to answer it, because it may be a tax collector. And they never had enough for the taxes. Her mother walked out of the room she was cleaning in and gracefully walked towards the shoji door. When she slid it open a man came into Rukia's view. He was unbelievably large. His face was rigid, and held a sharp grin that covered most of his face as he looked down at Rukia's mother. An eye-patch covered his right eye, and scars marred his skin. Tall, black spiky hair rose from his head, and made him look very eccentric. This man looked terrifying.

"Good Morning! My name is Kenpachi Zaraki" His voice was loud and deep, and filled the room. "I don't mean to disrupt your daily activities, but…" He paused for a second. "_Where is your husband ?" _At that point Rukia knew her father had done something._ 'Did he get into another bar fight?'_ She thought to herself.

"U-uhm… I – I.. I do not know w-where he went. He left earlier today. But I do not k-know wher-"

"Do you think I'm fucking stupid?" He interrupted her mid-sentence. Rukia's mother went silent in fear. "Do you really expect me to believe that he told you nothing of the money he owes me?"

"Money?" Rukia chimed in. "My father doesn't discuss financials with us women. So do not expect either of us to know anything about money that he may owe you."

"May owe me? That** bastard** owes me 4,000,000 yen…."

Rukia almost gasped. How could he have accumulated that much debt? Was it even possible?

"How? How could you have let him owe you that much money!?" Rukia said angrily."Are you really that foolish to think _anyone_, let alone _my_ father, would be able to pay back that kind of money? What kind of village do you think you're in?" Rukia was standing now, her fists were clenched in complete rage. Is there anything that insufferable man wouldn't do to make her life miserable?

"So you're saying he cannot pay?" He had a scheming look on his ugly face.

"It's amazing to me that you look surprised." Rukia retorted. "Look around you! Our home is in shambles! The man drinks, gambles and hires illegitimate company on a regular basis, and you think he can pay you back _4 million _yen?

"Well, if he cannot pay me with money, than you're going to have to do." He went to push his way through Rukia's mother and into the house but Rukia's mother… just… stepped aside.

Rukia's eyes widened in horror.

"Heh, smart woman. I would take you but I have a thing about taking other men's wives for the trade." He turned and faced Rukia. "Now little bunny rabbit don't be scared; nothing personal. It's just _the price_"

Rukia ran for her life. Her injuries made it difficult for her to run as fast as she normally would've been able too. But she didn't care, she just ran as fast as possible. He could hear him laughing behind her. He was gaining on her. She dashed up the stairs; her best bet was the window in her room.

While running up the stairs all she could think about was not to trip. She kept repeating it to herself like a mantra. "Don't trip, don't trip, DO NOT TRIP."

If she made it to the window she could get onto the roof and try to lose him. She didn't even care if he went after her mother instead. All she cared about was getting herself away from him. When Rukia reached the door to her bedroom, she slid it open so hard and fast that it almost came off the wooden track. And when she past the threshold of her bedroom she could feel his hand graze her yukata.

He missed.

She ran faster.

Thank the Gods, the window was open. She climbed out with the speed and skill of an acrobat and landed on the rickety roof with complete grace, even though her head was throbbing with adrenaline.

She looked up at him trying to awkwardly get through with his massive body. If it were another kind of situation she would've thought it to be somewhat humorous to see. But all she could think about at the time was running.

So she did.

Rukia had to be careful here. Every step she took had to be calculated and smart. The roof was weather worn and had many weak-spots from temporary fixes that were never dealt with properly. Rukia could recall many nights where she had to stay awake and clean the floors from the access water that came into the house.

She could hear a strangled cry of frustration coming from behind her. Even if he were to get out of the window there wouldn't be any way that he could maneuver on this roof without falling through, especially with his weight.

Rukia, however, just ignored him. She had to concentrate. This was all or nothing.

She realized that this is her chance; her chance to leave this horrible place once and for all. Anticipation and excitement welled up into Rukia for the first time in a very long time. Could she finally see all of those distant places that she could only dream about, or those beautiful wonderful worlds that only showed themselves to her in glorious visions through the storytelling of the village elders?

She squashed those thoughts immediately. "_Concentrate_, Rukia." She chastised herself.

The village was somewhat larger in scale compared to the other nearby villages. The homes were near each so more people could fit. This proved to be of Rukia's advantage.

She stood next to the roof's chimney looking at the neighboring roof with a calculating gaze. She had to jump hard and fast to make sure she stuck the landing. But she couldn't risk falling through.

She saw Zaraki, below from her.

_'So, he gave up on climbing out of the window?' _She smirked slightly.

He looked furious, but excited. Almost as if he loved the chase. Rukia wouldn't put it past him.

She sprinted towards the next rooftop and jumped.

The thought of falling never occurred to Rukia until she was in the air. She really didn't want to think about it; because if she did fall, she wouldn't be able to stand back up. She wasn't that stupid. Zaraki was right below and he would grab her crumpled form from the ground, and if she were still alive, he would probably do ungodly things to her already damaged body, or who knows, maybe she didn't even need to be alive for him. The ladder disturbed her greatly.

She wasn't going to let that happen to her. It was the only thing that she clung onto; the only thing that wasn't forcefully taken from her.

The impact of the rooftop to her chest knocked her breath out. It was a greater distance than what she banked on. Rukia moaned, her torso was the last thing that needed another impact. She was actually surprised that she was still conscience. Her lungs were burning, her heart was beating hard, and her chest was throbbing in pain.

She heard that laugh again. It was a laugh of victory.

All it accomplished was pissing Rukia off.

And in that moment she found herself, ironically, thanking her father for the beatings, because it made her strong. Her arms could lift her up even when her muscles were demanding rest. She would always find the will to keep moving, she would never stop moving forward.

"Dammit, Rukia! GET UP" She shouted at herself, and it worked. She lifted up and got one leg up on the roof. And as she was lifting her other leg… the shingles gave out.

Rukia went plummeting to the ground.

* * *

**Did you like it?**

**And YES I had to add Kenpachi in here as a big scary creep. **

**I'm trying to make these chapters longer. I really am. I'm sorry. -_-**

**Please review!**

**Until the next chapter! **

**`GrandDuchess**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 is up and ready for reading! **

**I really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, even though it is somewhat of a transitional chapter. The next ones will be much more enjoyable. **

**Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed! Please keep it up! I really appreciate it!**

**Now enough of my rambling, on to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of Bleach, obviously, this is leisure writing. **

**`GrandDuchess**

* * *

When Rukia thought about leaving home, it was a pleasant feeling.

It was a feeling of anticipation and hope of becoming something greater than what she was destined to become; these where the feelings that the hill brought to her. She would sit for hours watching the night sky, dreaming; because that was all she could do, was dream.

She could only barely remember how she got here. It came to her in jumbled scenes with no chronological order, it was chaotic.

The large wooden cart jerked hard at a particularly deep hole. Rukia was semi conscious, but could still feel the pain of the abrupt movement.

She could remember the impact when she hit the ground. She landed harshly on her back; the rocks digging into her skin, and the uncomfortable position her limbs were in.

"We better make camp, there looks to be a storm comin'." An unfamiliar voice.

"Che, keep movin', we'll be fine." That voice she did recognize.

Zaraki.

She remembered him roughly seizing her, dragging her, because she couldn't stand; she was in too much pain for any walking, or even limping for that matter. He was laughing, a very unnerving sound that came from his throat.

The last thing Rukia remembered was his disgusting breath upon her neck, when he whispered those cruel words into her ear.

"Told ya I'd catch ya."

Then it went dark.

When Rukia finally woke up again, the sun was setting . She was tied up; the ropes were tight against her sensitive skin.

"_Why?" _

The tears that rolled down Rukia's cheeks were hot in contrast to her cold skin. A sob racked her body and it hurt. It was unbearable, the pain. Her chest felt as if knives were sticking out of it. Her muscles were spent and screaming for rest. How could they do this? How could they betray her again? Why did they hate her so much? Her parents… her parents did this to her. She remembered the moment her mother let Zaraki in; her head downcast in silent agreement, her posture almost resolute to the fate she had signed her daughter. Rukia never had the chance to see her face again; but in some way, Rukia was happy that she didn't see it. It gave her more reason to hate her.

She was so scared. She had heard horrible things about the sex ring. She assumed that's where they were taking her, into one of the bigger cities; probably to a red district.

She shivered. The night air was cold. It was good of her to wear the longer yukata. She glanced around the cart hoping there would be something for her to get close too for warmth, but it was only straw. She maneuvered so that she could possibly get more comfortable, but no such luck.

Rukia started thinking of how she could run away. She wasn't going to let this stop her.

The only thing she had going for her right now was, ironically, her weakness. They would underestimate her. She knew they would.

There were only two of them, but Zaraki was big, and Rukia couldn't see if the other one was the same size. They were on horseback, which was also an advantage. If she waited for them when they fell asleep she would have her chance to escape.

The cart bumped along on the path. The trek was long and tiresome for Rukia. She hadn't eaten since that morning, but she could manage without a meal or two.

Rukia felt a couple raindrops hit her face; she looked up to see dark clouds above. The raindrops began getting bigger and falling faster.

"Shit! I told you that it was going to storm!" The one man yelled.

"Shut your trap, you whining pussy." Zaraki responded irritated. However the rain started falling hard enough that the horses were beginning to slip with the mud. "Ugh, Fine, we'll make camp here. Feed the horses, oh, and the bitch too."

Rukia started to hate Zaraki more and more with each passing second. She's going to relish seeing that dumb look on his face when she's making a break for it.

For the past hour Rukia has been loosening the tight ropes constraining her hands in front of her. Her wrists were raw and bleeding. One nice thing about having small hands was she could normally get them out of tight places with relative ease.

Rukia was sitting in the fetal position near the far left corner of the cart when the second man came into view with something in his hands, presumably food. He was about average in height and had strong muscle definition. His head was bald and his eyes were fierce.

"Here's your complementary meal for this journey milady'." He smirked.

"IKKAKU. Hurry the fuck up!"

"Anyway, eat this. You need to keep your strength up. We have a long journey ahead of us." Ikkaku slid the dish full of gruel towards her; it was getting wet because of the rain. Rukia looked up at Ikkaku but he had just turned to finish setting up the tents.

'_Good, they'll be sleeping in tents."_ That would make Rukia's life a hell of a lot easier when trying to sneak by them later.

Rukia didn't want to eat the meal, but he was right. She did need her strength. The 'complementary meal' consisted of mushy rice and some stale beans. She stomached as much as she could. It wasn't horrendous, but her stomach wasn't exactly demanding food at the time.

* * *

The rain was now coming down in sheets.

Zaraki and Ikkaku had already set up camp and jumped into their tents, trying to shelter themselves from the cold. Rukia chuckled to herself. '_Do they really think they don't need to watch me?'_ She was so cold from the rain; her yukata clung onto her like a second skin. Her teeth began to chatter. She tried to hug herself for warmth but it didn't provide much. When the candles were out in the tents Rukia bounded on the opportunity.

She untangled herself from the ropes binding her and worked quickly. Her whole body was on fire with adrenaline.

She jumped down from the cart, but her legs were so weak, they could barely keep her up. She was demanding way too much from her body. She held still making sure she wasn't noticed. Only the sound of rain came to her ears.

She stumbled to the tents; passed them, harnessed on the trees, were the three horses. Rukia remembered a time in her life where she had actually ridden horses somewhat frequently. She used to help an old farmer with his chores daily. Payment for her hard work was fresh dairy and other products of the small farm. However, taking care of the horses was her favorite part of the deal. They were so beautiful to her; they began to trust her, and even started following her on occasion while she did her work. She had read stories of brave men riding their proud steeds with honor and dignity. Saving the lives of the poor and giving back to the needy. She wished those people actually existed.

Out of the three horses in front of her, only one of them looked fit enough for her. The horse was a beautiful white with grey spots dotting his body in a sporadic pattern. She assumed him to be Ikkaku's horse, because the next one to it was very large; one fitting for such a huge owner. They were all agitated at the storm and at being tied up to the tree.

Rukia's nimble hands worked on the restraints holding. The rain kept coming down hard. It was difficult for Rukia to see her hands. She had to feel the harness, had to maneuver it the way it needed to go to set them free; the horses where getting restless and Rukia touched their heads gently to calm them.

When she finally got them free, the horses back away slightly. Rukia held on to the white horse while she led the other two away from the campsite, when she got on the white horse she would grab them too, so that Ikkaku and Zaraki couldn't follow her.

She tried to get on the horse but her body wouldn't allow herself up. She grunted in frustration. She needed to get on, and quickly. Rukia saw a boulder nearby, but it was closer to the tents, more so than what she was comfortable with. Gently she guided the white horse to the boulder and she climbed onto the large rock, but right as she was about to jump on to the horse's back, a bright flash lit the sky and followed by it, an earth rumbling boom.

All of the horses were startled and neighed loudly, and Rukia saw no other choice but to jump before it was too late. The second she grabbed on, the horse bolted in a full gallop. She clung onto his mane with all her might, and Rukia found the chance to look back, and she saw Kenpachi Zaraki jolting out of his tent seething with anger. He began running after her, but as he was running he stumbled on the wet ground; earning him a mouthful of mud.

'_You're going to have to try harder than that.' _She mused.

Holding on was the only thing on Rukia's mind. The horse was running at full speed and had no control. Rukia was barely keeping conscious with the amount of pain she was going through.

'_Something must be broken.' A _branch hit her face, it stung the almost numb skin; they were going through a dense forest and Rukia had no clue as to where she was. She had no sense of direction in this torrential downpour. Rukia kept her body as close to the animal as she could, held on tight, and shut her eyes, praying the Gods would help her.

* * *

Raindrops danced down the window of Byakuya's study. He placed a finger on one of the panes and started tracing the wet lines that were running down it; his thoughts, however, were on a letter lying on top of his desk.

"_Kuchiki Byakuya,_

_Being the last remaining member of the Noble Kuchiki family, you are here-by summoned, by royal decree, to see the king immediately, concerning the upcoming war effort. If you fail to comply within a timely manner, you will be seen as a traitor to your country, and disciplinary action will be ensued. _

_Please make your decision soon,_

_ The Royal Guard"_

Byakuya tried not to sigh. This was frustrating. He wanted nothing to do with the King's petty war. The Northern King was an insolent child that was having a temper tantrum again. Everyone knew it, but no one dared to say anything.

This country had two kingdoms, a northern and a southern kingdom, who were always proclaiming war on each other; often because of the fact that they were governed by twin brothers, who hated each other. This whole thing was just a big sibling rivalry between the two of them. If one kingdom was richer than the other one day, the other kingdom was proclaiming war the next.

It was complete nonsense, and Byakuya wanted nothing to do with it. However, he had no other choice. It was by treaty; an agreement made many, many years ago when his ancestors first lived in these lands. The oath was, that peace would be between the humans and Kuchiki's, as long as the humans didn't mettle within their business and the Kuchiki's would answer to the King if called upon.

The only reason his family accepted the treaty was because the Kuchiki's weren't interested in conquering the humans, they could've if they wanted to, but they just wanted to live somewhat peacefully, so it was a fair trade.

The previous King respected this treaty, and rarely summoned him, but this was before the separation of kingdoms. These two insolent brats, that called themselves Kings, were getting on his nerves; quite often.

Byakuya liked the peace and quiet. He wasn't one for showing his face to the public. He was actually a fairly simple man; he enjoyed his studies and his privacy.

But, for the most part, he didn't have to worry about people. They tended to stay away from him.

Many years ago, when Byakuya was much younger, he scared a group of villagers with his Dragon form. He was bored, they were on Dragon Territory, and one thing led to another. But soon after, legend began about some '_monster_' in the Northern Mountains, and it spread the country like wildfire. Byakuya found it humorous, but he didn't mind it; less people to bother him.

Many humans today have forgotten about them, and the Dragon-kind merely stayed that way, a legend.

Byakuya looked out over the massive landscape before him. It really was an incredible view. The snowcapped mountains were on the horizon and the forest was lush below him.

The Kuchiki Estate settled on a meadow in the lower valley of the mountains and even in this rain it was still a breathtaking sight. Something caught Byakuya's eye in that moment, however. Something was moving through the woods, and fast. His eyes narrowed.

A White horse burst out of the forest and was on a rampage. And after a quick observation, it had a rider. The rider had obviously lost control of the beast, and was barely hanging on. Byakuya didn't waste another second.

When in his Human form, Byakuya could out run most. However, a galloping horse was different; and he didn't feel it necessary to change forms for something like this. He ran outside in the rain to the stables and was on his horse within minutes.

He could see the white horse running with no sense of direction, at full speed. It was obviously scared and confused. He hadn't seen the rider move at all during this time.

'_Is he dead?'_

Byakuya didn't know, and he couldn't tell for sure. He was finally gaining on the crazed animal and the rain continued to pour.

The rider started to slide slightly and then fell off completely. He hit the ground hard, and rolled a few times before finally stopping.

Byakuya slowed down immediately and jumped off his own horse and ran to his side.

His eyes widened.

It was a woman, not a man. She was small with midnight black hair. Her entire body was covered in dirt and he could see some injuries to her arms. He gently got down and lifted her off the ground slightly. She was freezing. He checked to see if she was breathing, and her breath came out rattling. He was careful not to move her too much, just in case she was more heavily injured than she looked. As he was trying to figure out the best way to bring her back to the mansion, he heard a hushed whisper, almost muted with the noise of the rain.

"Please help me." She looked up at him, shaking.

And that was when he saw her eyes, and his breath evaporated instantaneously.

He couldn't even respond before they shut again, and she passed out.

* * *

**So, what do you think?**

**Different plot line right? I know some of you were wondering how Byakuya was going to fit into the story. Hopefully I didn't leave any of you disappointed. **

**I really enjoyed writing the last part.. I really did. **

**I have a lot planned for my later chapters let me tell you. Sorry about the the cliff-hanger guys.. it was just such a dramatic place to leave it.. Muahaha. I'm so mean, I know. **

**Please! Review! Give me opinions, or even ideas if you want to!**

**Let the ByaRuki-ness begin!**

**`GrandDuchess XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! **

**GrandDuchess here with the next chapter. **

**Now I felt really happy to do this chapter. Finally we get to see them with some interactions! **

**I don't know if I'll be able to update as frequent as I have been soon.. Sorry. ^-^;**

**However I will try my best! Anyway I hope you like the newest chapter of...**

**_The Monster_.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of it's characters.**

* * *

_Blood._

_There was blood everywhere._

_Her hands were grasping onto the lifeless body before her. _

_ "N-nee-san?" She slightly pushed the body, hoping for some response._

_"Nee-san, why won't you wake up?" she was sobbing into the blood soaked fabric; holding on to it as if her life depended on it._

Then there came the scream.

_"NEE-SAN!"_

Rukia awoke with sweat covering her body and she was gasping for breath. Her hands clutched the cloth at her chest. She ran one hand through her hair and collected herself.

'_What was that?_' Her thoughts finally cleared a bit more. _'Where am I?'_

She was lying on a western style bed with a plush comforter. The room itself was darker and had a large stone fireplace at the far end of the room. It was adorned with intricately detailed furniture and had a western theme. A fire was crackling in the fireplace and it made the room feel warm and comfortable.

Rukia pulled the comforter away and stepped down from the tall bed. She felt, surprisingly well. The pain… was… gone. How long had she been here? She took a few steps, heading to a large wooden door that she presumed must be the exit. But right when she got close, it opened, and a man stopped in his tracks.

He had shoulder length hair that could compete with Rukia's when it came to color. He was about average in height but still much taller than Rukia. His build was slender but looked to be quite physically fit. His face had very defined cheekbones and jaw line, but what caught Rukia's attention was his silver eyes. She had never seen anything like it, they almost glowed. His expression was one of subtle curiosity and surprise.

"So, you're finally awake. How are you feeling?" He said in a deep monotone voice.

"Uhm, I'm actually feeling quite well, thank you." She hesitated.

"Where am I?"

"You're in my home. I found you 3 days ago when your horse lost control in this last storm, you suffered some pretty serious injuries. I thought that it would be best for you to stay here until you were in good health." He responded casually.

"T-thank you for your care. I am indebted to you." Rukia bowed low in gratitude; then just as quickly, stood straight again.

'_Three days!?' _ "Wait, did you say three days?"

"Is there a problem?"

"Uh, no... just… has anyone been… umm.. looking for me?" Rukia asked nervously.

The man raised an eyebrow. "Why? Have you done something wrong?"

"No. I haven't. It's nothing." She stumbled along.

"And to answer your question, no one has been looking for you; not that I know of anyway. Even if they were, it would be very difficult for someone to find you here; it's a pretty secluded area."

"Oh."

There was a moment of silence. Rukia didn't have a clue what to say. She really owed this man a lot, he saved her life. She didn't remember much after getting on that horse and tearing through the woods at dangerous speeds. What she did remember was the warmth she felt before she opened her eyes; it was such a secure feeling. The rain was coming down hard, and blurred her vision, so she couldn't see the cause to this comfort. Rukia had never felt anything like it before. She felt… safe.

Now seeing the man that held her like that, almost made her blush. He was gorgeous.

'_Stop it Rukia!'_ She mentally slapped herself.

She had seen handsome men before, but, never as regal as the man before her now. He had an air about him that emanated power and wisdom. It was a power that felt steady, and not sporadic like her father.

"Are you hungry?"

Rukia stomach almost growled at the thought of food.

"Uhmm, A-a little bit; to be honest." Rukia felt terribly awkward. How was she supposed to act in front of him? She had no idea. She didn't want to keep bothering him with her weakness, she felt ashamed.

"Good, I have some food already prepared. Are you well enough to come down to eat, or shall I bring it up to you?"

"There isn't any need to bother, I can come down. Thank you."

He didn't say anything else; he only turned and led her to the dining area. When in the hallway Rukia took it upon herself to look at her surroundings, and her mouth almost dropped. This place was _huge_. It must be a castle. Rukia had never seen such an amazing sight. The stone pillars holding it on its foundation were wide and spiraled to the towering ceiling. It was much colder in the vast hallway; the floors, walls, and ceiling were built with a heavy dark stone that didn't have much warmth and chilled her feet as she followed the man. Large painting hung on the walls of people Rukia thought looked very beautiful and… many of them looked a lot like the man before her. '_Are these his family members?' _Rukia thought to herself. Something else caught Rukia's eye, everything was… really dusty. '_Is he living here… alone?'_ Rukia couldn't help but wonder about this strange man.

After walking for a good 5 minutes, down a couple flights of stairs and some more hallways, they made it to a dining room; and this time, Rukia's mouth did drop. There was a long dining room table that stretched the entire room with a complete feast covering the tabletop.

"Are you expecting company?" Rukia asked.

"No." He looked slightly confused.

"Then… why so much food?"

"You haven't eaten in 3 days. I thought you would be hungry."

Rukia tried not to giggle, but it was futile. He looked at her with a look that she couldn't place. Again, Rukia felt awkward.

"Thank you, but, you didn't need to go through so much trouble." She tried to amend.

He didn't respond but guided her to a seat and Rukia sat down.

The food was incredible. Since her family was poor, Rukia never had the chance to eat such delicacies before. A lot of the food that was before her, Rukia didn't even know what it was, but she didn't want to be rude.

"What is your name?" He asked her when she stuffed her mouth with another helping of chicken. She swallowed before she replied.

"OH! I'm sorry, that's really rude of me isn't in? It's Rukia. Tsubaki Rukia."

She couldn't believe she was so stupid not to introduce herself. He looked at her for a while before he finally responded.

"Rukia, is it? It suits you. Family name?"

At this, Rukia stiffened. She didn't want to talk about her family; never again for that matter.

"Um, no. Not that I know of. What about your name?"

"What about it?"

"What is it?" _'Is it that weird of me to ask?'_

He paused before answering, almost like he didn't really want to tell her. Rukia was confused.

"Kuchiki Byakuya."

_'Byakuya.'_

"Well, your name suits you as well." He gave her an almost relieved look before he continued eating. Rukia stared at him for a second before she followed suit.

After dinner, Byakuya and Rukia left the dining area and when they made it to the staircase Byakuya ended the silence.

"How long do you intend on staying?"

Rukia was taken aback. She felt really bad for him helping her in her moment of weakness, she hated it really. She needed to pay him back in some way.

"I don't mean to overstay my welcome. But, I feel that I should repay you for everything that you have done for me."

"Repay me?"

"Yes, it would mean a lot to me. I could help you clean or…"

"What makes you think I need help with the cleaning?" He cut her off before she could finish her sentence.

Rukia said nothing but reached out to the railing beside her and wiped her fingers across, leaving a distinct trail behind them and looked at her hand before brushing it off.

"Call it an educated guess."

He looked dangerously irritated… but also, slightly amused. After a moment of silence and him somewhat calculating her reasons he answered.

"Fine. However, there are _rules_ to this establishment that I will not have you breaking. Understand?"

"But of course!" Rukia was just excited to be of help, she hated owing people _anything _and this would be the start of repaying him. And she had to admit… she did… in some way… want to get to know Byakuya better. There was a lot more to him than what he put on, there had to be, he did save her, so he had to be a good man, if you got rid of his cold personality… rudeness… arrogance… you get the idea.

"Stay out of and _do not_ clean my study, or my own room." He stated

Rukia waited for him to finish speaking but he looked to be finished. She looked at him dumbfounded.

"That's it?"

"Do you want more?"

"Well I was expecting more than _two _rules_._"

"These are my conditions. Do you agree?" He pretended like he didn't hear her.

Rukia hesitated a moment, curious as to why she couldn't go into those two rooms. But she wasn't going to be nosy, she was going to clean by his standards, no matter how strange they seemed. She owed him at least that.

"Yes. Where do I start?"

"If I remember correctly, this was _your_ idea, so _you_ get to decide. _I_ will be in my study. If you need something, find it for yourself, or better yet, learn to live without."

He turned his back towards her and headed towards his precious study. Rukia rolled her eyes.

'_Yosh!' _

Rukia didn't care all that much that he was being cold. She walked around a got an idea of what needed to be done. Then she realized…

"Wait! Byakuya!"

He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her and held a cold, uninterested look in his eyes.

"Uhm, I need to know which rooms are your study and bedroom if you don't want me to go near them."

He hesitated.

'_What's the big deal?'_ She thought to herself.

"At the end of this hallway is my bedroom, and adjacent to it is my study. Is that all?" He frowned.

"Yes. Thank you." Rukia bowed. After she heard him begin his footsteps toward his study again, she rose.

_'Okay, __**now **__I can go back to exploring.' _

* * *

_'What am I doing?' _ Byakuya was thinking to himself as he walked away from Rukia.

'_Rukia.'_ It was a nice name. Byakuya did mean it; it seemed to go along perfectly with her personality for some strange reason. He didn't know what he had said though, when he asked about it, she seemed to have stiffened. '_Does talking about her family bother her?' _

He didn't really want to tell her his name. When she didn't recognize it, he was relieved. He had hoped she didn't know what the Kuchiki's were. Thankfully, she didn't. For some reason, he didn't want to frighten her; didn't want her to have heard the legend of the "Monster" living in the mountains. This was so strange for him. He shouldn't care, but, for some unknown reason. He did.

He was finding himself increasingly curious about the petite girl that was now in his home. She seemed troubled but Byakuya didn't know what to say, he actually had a problem with being… well… friendly. He had always had a problem with it. He's never really liked humans. They all had annoyed him. Humans, to him, were only selfish creatures and many of them were disgusting. But she seemed to be different. She had this light about her that made her almost glow. But the thing that captured his attention most, were her eyes. Never before had he seen a human with eyes like the color of hers. They were a vibrant violet that had a fire to them that spoke emotions without the need of words. When she asked him if she could help clean, to repay him for his generosity, he saw no ulterior motives. She looked sincere.

However, he had wanted to decline, she wasn't a part of his regular lifestyle, he had a system, and she would get in the way of that system. But he was at war with himself. He wanted to make sure that she really was safe. But maybe… possibly… there was another reason.

_'What am I thinking? I know nothing of this woman.'_

_Three days ago_:

_Byakuya held the unconscious girl to his chest as he brought her up to one of the many rooms that his home had and immediately laid her down on one of the plush beds. She was freezing to the touch, and Byakuya was worried of hypothermia. He knew that humans could get cold easily, he never had to worry about such things, but he had no idea how to take care of her. He immediately walked to the fireplace at the end of the room and set some dry logs inside, he flicked his fingers and a small flame illuminated from his hand. He placed his hand under one of the logs until it was engulfed in flames. Shaking the flame from his hand, he looked back to the bed. He went to one of the cabinets near the closet of the bedroom and grabbed some towels to start washing and drying the girl off. In the process, Byakuya had taken it upon himself to assess the damage done to the girl lying in front of him. Her arms and legs were incredibly bruised, which really affected him for some strange reason. He shook off the strange feeling. Byakuya didn't want to invade her privacy too much, so he didn't completely undress her. Gently, he sat her up and got the first layer of the yukata off. The under layer wasn't as wet, thankfully, so Byakuya covered her up with the blankets so she could get warmer more quickly. She had shoulder length Raven black hair, with a lock of it between her eyes. Gently, Byakuya moved it away from her face. Bringing his hand back, Byakuya got up from the side of the bed to let her rest. _

_Byakuya would every now and then check her condition. He didn't really know how to take care of her, which, for some reason, bothered him. He was irritated that he didn't know what she needed. He didn't affiliate himself with the humans very often, and they were very different than his own kind. They operated at a very different level. He was also concerned that she was obviously not eating; he couldn't shove food down her throat. Byakuya ran his hands through his hair in frustration. 'Why do I even care?'_

_When he went to check on her the third day, he had been completely taken aback when he opened the door to see her standing in front of him. She was awake and looked perfectly fine and full of energy. He felt as if a weight was lifted off his chest. 'Thank god.'_

Byakuya entered his study and headed to his desk that had a heap of books and papers stacked on top of it. He grabbed the letter that he had just written this morning and folded it evenly before placing it in an envelope. While pouring the wax over the back of the envelope, he thought about his response to the "all-mighty" King's Royal Guard.

"_I have read your letter and will make my journey to the king in a weeks' time. _

_ I hope this is 'timely' enough for you. -Kuchiki Byakuya"_

* * *

**Did you like my little tidbits of foreshadowing here?  
**_  
_**I had a lot of fun with this chapter. **

**The foundations are being set people. XD**

**Please review your thoughts/comments/questions! **

**I really do love every single one of them I get!**

**Oh and again, I don't know how consistent I will be when it comes to updating these chapters. I'm about to get a school load. I can just feel it. Its a tingly sensation. You get that, yeah?**

**Anywho. I love all of you people for actually reading this thing this far. I hope you guys like it. I tell ya. I'm having a blast writing it. **

**Until the next chapter!**

**`GrandDuchess**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello again! **  
**Here's the next chapter of The Monster! **

**I was really excited to do this chapter, it was a lot of fun to write out and I hope you guy's enjoy it!  
Please please please Review! I love all of my reviews!  
And to everyone that did review, thank you! You guys are amazing! I love you!**

**So I'll stop typing so that you can start reading this next chapter.**

**`GrandDuchess**

* * *

Sweat glistened on Rukia's brow. She wiped a hand across her forehead. The floor shined back at her, and Rukia beamed in achievement. She had just finished scrubbing and waxing one of the many hallway floors.

'_By Gods, this is difficult.'_

The day had been thoroughly spent by dusting, scrubbing, and organizing every single room that she came into contact with. It wasn't easy either. This house, no, scratch that, this _castle_ hadn't been cleaned in years. That much was obvious. And she was nowhere near being done.

Rukia sighed.

She hadn't seen Byakuya once since yesterday evening. For some reason Rukia was slightly disappointed, but, she decided to ignore it.

Rukia only started humming to herself and got back to work.

* * *

'_What is she humming?' _Byakuya had been watching her for awhile now, and he was actually impressed. She cleaned very efficiently and effectively, leaving nothing behind. He didn't know why he was watching her. He was getting restless in his study so he just kind of… wandered… for a bit… then found himself stopping when he saw her. He started to watch her in fascination. She was concentrating on the work before her, so she didn't notice him, thankfully. He thought about getting her attention, but, he didn't actually have a reason to see her… he just… wanted to.

'_This is disturbing; I really should go back to work.'_

However, he couldn't concentrate. He would study for a little bit, but his thought would immediately wander to the violet eyed wonder that was cleaning his home. He was getting increasingly frustrated with himself. Why was he thinking about her so much? He knew nothing of her, and he shouldn't care.

Finally Byakuya decided enough was enough and walked away; leaving the dedicated little human behind him.

* * *

'_I'm hungry. I wonder if Byakuya is too.'_ Rukia got up from where she was scrubbing and put her cleaning supplies back in their rightful places. She was finally starting to get an idea of the layout of this massive building, Rukia kind of felt proud of that amazing feat. She estimated at _least_ 30 people could stay here comfortably and still have enough privacy. She walked down to the kitchen to start preparing dinner.

After rummaging through the vast amount of the pantries, cupboards, and drawers; Rukia grabbed some various ingredients and began chopping, dicing, and boiling. Rukia was amazed at how much food was there… She couldn't believe it. He lived alone (as far as she could tell), so what was the need for all of this food? He had no cooks, maids, or other servants to help him keep up with the incredible estate, or even keep him company. It was all very strange to Rukia… correction… _He_ was strange. She still hadn't seen him once during the day; he locked himself up in his study. She briefly wondered what he was doing before being interrupted by a voice.

"What are you doing?"

Rukia was momentarily surprised when she looked up at who entered the kitchen; curiosity shown on his otherwise stoic face.

"I'm cooking."

"Well that much is obvious."

"Then why did you ask?"

Rukia couldn't help it sometimes. She was blunt to say the least. Many times her father had punished her for being a little too much of a 'smartass'. '_Don't think about it, don't think about it'. _

Byakuya couldn't believe it.

'_This woman.' _Byakuya had to hold back a smirk, which he seemed to be doing a lot more of recently.

"Sorry. That was rude."

"No, its fine, what I meant to say was, 'Why are you cooking?'"

"You seriously don't know why people _cook_?"

Rukia could've slapped herself, '_ugh RUKIA BEHAVE! But he just makes it too easy!' _ The look that he gave her made Rukia stop for a moment. He was smiling. It looked really nice on him; his already handsome features appeared much younger and less harsh on him, and he seemed to have loosened his rigidness; almost like he had a personality change. He chuckled softly.

"You're a… _witty… _one, aren't you?" He seemed to deliberate the adjective he used in that question. Rukia blushed.

"S-sorry." She looked down and continued chopping some of the vegetables in front of her.

"Would you like some help?" He suddenly was beside her.

"What?"

"Do you seriously not know what help is?" He smiled as the words were thrown back at her.

Rukia gave him a half cocked grin.

"Touché. If you want too you can, this _is_ your kitchen. I just kind of took it upon myself to cook, I thought you might be hungry. I haven't seen you come out of your study all day so I only assumed you hadn't eaten anything."

She watched as he only nodded and stood beside her waiting instructions.

* * *

Byakuya had been helping prepare food with Rukia for about an hour now. He didn't know why he was helping her, when he actually didn't know how to cook. Some advantages of being a magical being, is that you don't need to do very much cooking, or a lot of other things for that matter. When Rukia dined with him last night he hadn't done any preparations, preparations had been made when he instructed the kitchen to cook up food, even though no one was there, the kitchen could do things on its own without the help of physical beings. However, he really enjoyed this. Needless to say, Rukia helped him with some of the minor things, like chopping food correctly, or food temperatures. '_She must've cooked quite a bit before.' _And for the first time in Byakuya's life, he seemed to completely relax and was having..._ fun_. He was completely out of his comfort zone but she was just so incredibly easy to be with. They didn't converse very much other than occasional directions on what to do next with the meal, but she was smiling and looked to be enjoying herself and seeing her smile made Byakuya feel… warm.

Rukia was happy; happier than she has ever been in a really long time. She loved to use her hands, it's always been that way, it keeps her moving and distracted. It really surprised Rukia when Byakuya asked to help her, and Rukia was even more surprised when she found out that, Byakuya, couldn't cook… at all. It's as if he has _never _cooked before. He learned really fast but, Rukia couldn't help but wonder _how_ all of that food got onto that table last night, because it surely wasn't him. She didn't ask but continued to work out the dough that she had on the counter for the dumplings.

"I hope you like traditional food, because that's really the only thing I can cook."

They had finally finished cooking dinner and it sat steaming on the table. Rukia decided to cook something simple but delicious nonetheless; chicken dumplings with rice and steamed vegetables. It was Rukia's favorite. It was only on nights of rare celebration that she would ever get to eat it, and Rukia thought that it was acceptable. Because it was over with. Her past was behind her and it forever would be. She would never look back. They sat down and began eating the food in front of them.

"How is the cleaning going?"

Rukia looked up at Byakuya .

"It's going. There is a lot to do."

"Is there?"

"_Wellll_ when you leave things to dust for long periods of time, especially_ this_ amount of things, it tends to build up." She replied with a smile.

"I never found it important."

"What, cleaning? Why? Don't like to get your hands dirty?"

He glanced at her, than continued with his food.

"So, cleaning is too demeaning of a job for you, is it?

At that Byakuya stopped and lifted his head, unable to respond. '_Nailed it!' _Rukia giggled. Byakuya never said anything after that.

The food was amazing; Byakuya thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. _'And not just the food.' _He thought. He also enjoyed Rukia's company. She was so _lively_, so full of energy and spunk. She wasn't afraid to talk to him as an equal. She hadn't known his position, that was obvious, if she had she would probably be less lenient to, but he didn't want to tell her, didn't want her to stop. He really liked it. It was different, and so fresh, so new.

But, he knew _nothing_ about her…

"_Rukia_…"

Rukia was finished eating and was about to get up to take away the dishes when she heard his deep voice. She looked up at him, and he looked as if he was deliberating what he was about to say.

"Yes?" She continued to clear the plates as she answered him.

"What happened?"

At this, she froze.

"Happened with what?"

"Rukia. You know what I'm asking."

"Is it your business?"

"Well, seeing that I have let you enter my home and _clean_ for me, yes, I feel that it is my business to know who you are and your intentions."

"_Intentions?_ What do you mean by _that? _"

"You tell me."

Rukia was pissed. She shouldn't be, she knew that. He had reason enough to ask her these things. She just wasn't ready to tell him, to tell anyone for that matter.

"My _intentions_ are too repay a debt that I owe, that is all. Do not get the wrong idea here. You may have brought me back to health, but do not think that I have any other reason to be here. But I am curious, what intentions do you _think_ I have? You obviously have a few in mind."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, I was just curious as to how you came here so badly beaten without anyone around to do it."

Byakuya began to walk away when he heard a very quiet voice behind him.

"_I ran away from a fate that I refused to have."  
_Astonishment and fear shown on Rukia's face, she didn't know what made her say it. She didn't want to talk about the hell she lived through her entire life. That life was over with, it was done. She didn't want to keep going back to it. She knew that it was the way of the coward, but Rukia didn't care. She just wanted it to be over with.

Byakuya looked over his shoulder and saw her face and stopped. Her face had completely changed. She was almost a different person. Byakuya had never seen someone that looked as sad and tormented as the beautiful woman before him. Byakuya stayed silent awhile before speaking again.

"And have you run far enough, Rukia?"

Her eyes widened as he looked at her… she contemplated a bit but then she smiled at him…

"Who knows?"

* * *

"Woah! This is amazing!" Rukia exclaimed excitedly while twirling around in a circle. After dinner Byakuya still wanted to spend some more time with Rukia, so he decided to give her a proper tour of the mansion, knowing full well that Rukia had already took it upon herself to play the curious cat, she had probably seen everything already. But still, Byakuya wanted to enjoy this, the last destination was one of Byakuya's personal favorites; the library. Rukia ran to one of the shelves and pulled out a random book and opened it gently.

"Do you read often?"

"Ah? Oh, no… I can't read." Byakuya looked at her with subtle surprise.

"You cannot read?"

"No, I was never taught. It isn't a necessary skill where I'm from. My father used to say that it wasted valuable time that could be spent doing something else."Rukia looked solemnly down.

"I could teach you if you want." At this Rukia's head shot up.

"Oh, thank you, really, but I don't want to be a hindrance to you. There is no need to bother with a fool like me." Rukia gave him a slight smile as she looked up at him. Byakuya was curious as to why she was so against his help, she wasn't a hindrance to him, nor a fool actually she was the complete opposite. What could he do to make her see that?

"Do not say you are fool when you are not such a thing."

Rukia looked at him in surprise, but turned to look more through the library.

The library was vast, it had hundreds of books that Byakuya had inherited and even added later from his own collection. The shelves were tall and wide and had an array of different colors of leathers and wood from the different bindings of the books spread across them. Rukia almost gasped when he had first opened the doors (and he realized that she hadn't actually seen the library yet) It made Byakuya happy that he could make Rukia happy, just seeing the beautiful smile spread across her features made his heart warm instantly. '_This human is going to be the death of me.'_ He could already tell. Something was so different about her, so different than all of the other humans on this Gods forsaken rock. He loved it. Rukia was walking around observing all of the different decorations and furnishing that were left in the vast room.

"This." Rukia stopped in front of an old painting that was leaning against some old crates.

Byakuya was surprised that her attention was brought to that old thing. It was an antique painting done in remembrance of his kind. It brought back many memories to Byakuya, some painful but also important. So he placed it in the library just for that reason.

"Ah that. It's actually from and old Legend that speaks of an ancient culture of ancient beings. Supposedly, they had somewhat of a disagreement, and battled for hundreds of years in their land. The battles were calle-"

_"The fire wars"_

Byakuya's eyes widened, as she finished his sentence.

"My grandfather used to tell me the legends of the _Draconem_. He told me about the great war in their land, and that most of them had to seek refuge with the humans." Rukia held a soft gaze as she looked at the painting; looking as if she was remembering something pleasant. "I had many fond memories of my Grandfather, he loved telling me stories." She chuckled. "Father used to _hate_ it; I never understood why.." Rukia shook her head.

She knew of his kind… she had even used the actual name of their kind. Never before had he heard a _human_ utter that name, it held a _lot_ of power. The very fact that she knew it, meant something strange.  
'_Who was her Grandfather?'_

_"What happened to him? _You used the past tense just then." He gently asked.

Rukia looked up in fear. She stayed silent awhile, then…

"He died. I was young… he… fell ill." She rambled.

"Ah. I'm sorry."

"Don't be silly, there is no need for apologies. He was an old man, his day was to come like everyone else."

That wasn't exactly true… Byakuya wasn't like the humans. The Draconem lived for many hundreds of years, some lived to be several thousand years old. Byakuya himself was over 300. But he lost count to the actual year a long time ago. It had been about 100 years since he was left his entire inheritance and left… _alone._

"It's getting late." Rukia pulled Byakuya from his thoughts. "I should go to sleep. Thank you so much for the tour." Rukia bowed then stood straight.

"Yes, you need your rest. I'll see you tomorrow. I trust you know your way back to your room?"

"Yes, I do. Again, thank you, Byakuya." Then she smiled at him and in that moment Rukia could've asked him for anything and he would've conquered nations for her.

She walked beside him and Byakuya heard the door shut behind him, but he hadn't responded at all, he was too confused and shocked to do anything.

_'Could I, possibly, love this woman?'_

* * *

**Well, that was pleasant was it not? **

**Haha.**

**Now for some clarification. The reason I named the dragon people ****_Draconem _****is because its latin. for dragon. (Creative right?) **

**But I liked it, so meh. **

**Hopefully I will have another chapter up soon! **

**Please review guys! **

**`GrandDuchess**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everybody! I just wanted to say thank you so much for continuing to read my little story, and I do have to say that I think it's getting much more interesting! ****I'm very happy that I have been able to keep updating this story! All of you guys' reviews keep me motivated and I write faster somewhat so keep em coming! **

**Love,**

**GrandDuchess**

* * *

_"Jii-San! Jii-san! Tell me a story! I want to hear a story!" Little Rukia jumped up and down in front of the elder excitedly. He was sitting near the center of the quaint room where a fire was built and gave warmth to the surrounding area. An aroma of sweet incense mixed with tobacco wafted through the room. There wasn't much décor, actually none, but it was over compensated with the warmth and lively aura of her grandfather. _

_"Come, come; sit down. Let me think of one that you may like." Rukia obeyed and sat on her grandfather's lap. Upon sitting down, her grandfather gently grabbed her arm. "What is this?" he looked upon the fresh mark on her wrist. "Oh, I broke a tea cup. Otou-san was angry with me." The old man inhaled some more smoke from the long pipe while he looked at her solemnly. Saying nothing more, he let go of her wrist and cleared his throat._

_"A long time ago, in a distant land full of mysteries and majestic beauty, lived a young woman." Her grandfather's deep voice left Rukia in awe as he began his wonderful story. "She was innocent and pure in all ways and had a very special ability; a power so great that Kings would slaughter nations just to see it. Many men had wanted this power for themselves, and learned many different words of magic to try and steal it from her or command her to their will. No one had succeeded in their devilish plans. But one King had an idea; a very manipulative plan to use her against his greatest foes. He became friends with her."_

_Rukia had a look of confusion on her face when she glanced up toward her grandfather. "But, Jii-san, how is that evil? He just wanted to make friends with her!" The old man chuckled as he took another inhale of tobacco. "Patience, little one, the story is not over with. Anyway, as I was saying, this king made friends with this magical girl." Rukia stopped him one more time. "Jii-san, sorry… but…" Jii-san looked down at her as she stumbled with her words. "What was this girl's power?" His eyes widened slightly. "OH heavens how could I forget such a part! Thank you, my dear, for reminding me. He leaned down close to Rukia's face and whispered. "She could control the earth and all of her elements. Raise the tides, ablaze hot flames, calm the winds, and lift towering mountains. Her elemental dances were beautiful and unique to each command and she did each dance, perfectly." Rukia gasped in amazement. "Oh. You are right Jii-san! That is amazing!" He looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes and started his story again._

_"Now, this girl loved this King, he was charming, handsome and unbelievably kind to her. He asked this girl to be his Queen, to reign with him over his kingdom. She agreed. This girl loved this man dearly, and thought nothing more than to be with him forever. After she married him, she moved to his kingdom and she was happy for a time, before he became a monster. She learned of his true ways, how he treated his people like slaves, how he was cunning like a fox and merciless like a tiger, and how, he did not in fact love his queen like she loved him. You see, upon marriage, the king and this girl became one. Souls interlocked forever till death do they part. And when this happened, he could control his wife's abilities. He used them for the most heart wrenching and dreadful things, things his wife would not stand; no matter how much she loved her husband. So one night, after her betrothed had fallen asleep, this girl walked to the bedside and parted their souls once and for all. She left the kingdom and never looked back."_

_Jii-san sat straighter upon completing his story and smoked some more of his long pipe. "But Jii-san! What happened to her!? Surely she must've had a happy ending!" He glanced down at his granddaughter with a remembering look to his face. "Ah. I think that she did. She met another man, a man that truly did love her. However she could never look pass the misgivings of her late husband so she could never love him back the same. That is the sadder story, but it is all past now. No need to dwell upon it." He moved little Rukia from his lap, even though she had a thousand more questions, like always, when he finished his stories. "Now I am going to stoke the fire and make some tea, will you be a little angel and grab me a handful of wood from outside my dear?" He stood and stretched his aching back then grabbed his walking stick. "Okay! When I get back will you tell me another story Jii-san? PLEASSEEEE!?" He looked upon her with a look of pure adoration. "Yes yes of course my little one."_

* * *

Rukia sat at the windowsill in her bedroom lost in thought.

Rukia sighed, as she put a hand toward the windowpane, it was cold to the touch but warmed quickly where her hand was. Many fond memories came when she thought of her beloved Grandfather. He was an honorable man that she loved very dearly. He gave her an escape whenever she needed it. The stories that he told her gave her the will to survive, he was the reason why she was here today. Everything she learned about perseverance, strength, will, discipline was from him. Rukia had lied earlier to Byakuya. She hated herself for it, but, it was too soon. She didn't want to talk to him about her real life; her life of poverty, grief, and pure untamed hell. In some way, Rukia felt that if she told him, he would reject her, abandon her, leave her like everyone else seems to do. Rukia finally felt safe. She wanted to hold onto it as long as she could before fate finally comes and takes it away from her. She had tried to find the lies and interlaced deception in Byakuya's motives, but there wasn't any. She sensed a very kind man within that colder exterior. It was true, Byakuya could be cold, but he seemed to lighten up a bit whenever she was around; which made Rukia smile inwardly, she really liked the feeling of giving someone else happiness with just her presence alone. So she couldn't tell him about all of the sickness and death that surrounded her life. She was terrified that her presence wouldn't give him the same feeling afterward.

'_I'm over thinking it. He probably doesn't see anything more than a pathetic weak girl, like everyone else.' _

Rukia shook her head; there wasn't any need to get sad now. She wanted to make sure that these moments were the best that she ever had. She would never forget what Byakuya had done for her, given her a home.

Rukia looked up to the stars, and pointed out all of the familiar lights mentally. With everything around her changing, they never did. They were always the same, forever imprinted into the night sky, giving direction and hope. Pulling herself away, Rukia jumped from the windowsill and stoked the fire in the fireplace then climbed into bed and held her breath waiting for sleep to take her, and bring her to her dreaded nightmares.

* * *

_Running…_

_She was running…_

_Her chest was pounding with an immeasurable amount of adrenaline. The trees were passing her with incredible speed, it was all a blur. The crisp night air stung her lungs with every breath. Her mouth was dry and her whole body was in pain from over exhaustion. It felt like she had been running for hours. She just knew that if she stopped, it meant death.. It was getting closer, the fear, and her greatest nightmare… the monster. _

_Passing her left, a dark shadow came into Rukia's view. She stopped her running. It was futile now, it was too quick. Head bowed low, and vicious eyes stared right at her. Those eyes, she would never in her life forget those eyes, violet like hers, yet more fierce. Blood dripped from its teeth and mouth. Dark smoke was coming out of its nose and mouth. Its skin was covered in black scales, like a snake, and it blended with the shadows almost uncanny. In the moonlight Rukia could only make out its outline. The air surrounding them went still and you could feel the pressure of this beast in front of her. Crouching on all fours, the beast looked almost ready to pounce. Rukia could make out its long claws digging into the earth beneath it. It made a screeching roar of horror and the terrible noise brought Rukia to her knees clutching her ears to stop the sharp pain shooting through the whole of her body. Then it slightly backed up and darted at her, almost replicating a viper darting for its prey. Rukia could only scream. _

* * *

The sound of Byakuya's footsteps echoed in the hallway, the night had made everything quiet and cloaked the mansion in darkness. Byakuya had stayed in the library looking at the painting for almost an hour after Rukia left for the night. He didn't mean to, he was just lost in thought. Even now, while walking towards his bedroom, he couldn't stop thinking about Rukia. Be in love with a human? It was ridiculous… taboo even… a bestiality of sorts. The great Kuchiki Byakuya falling in love with a young human girl, if his family could see him now! How could it have come to this? He barely even knows the girl. She has only been a presence in his life for a few days. It was unbelievable to Byakuya. He had almost arrived to his bedroom door when he heard it, a piercing scream.

He ran towards Rukia's bedroom with inhuman speed. '_Why the hell is her room so far away from mine?' _ He mentally cursed. When he finally reached her bedroom he threw the door open to find Rukia, in the fetal position in front of the fireplace. She heard him come in and bolted up right. Her violet eyes were glossy with unshed tears, and with the light of the fire, almost gave them a glow. Her hands were violently shaking, and the amount of fear held in her eyes shocked Byakuya. He ran up to her and as he raised his hand to hold her, she jumped back.

"_Rukia, _What happened? Are you all right?" the desperation in Byakuya's voice disturbed him, but only for a second, his attention still on the terrified girl in front of him. Hesitantly he took another step, but again, she backed away from him.

"Rukia I'm not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you. Just tell me what happened." He tried walking toward her again, and this time she just looked at him.

"_B-byakuya?" _ His eyes widened. Her voice was no longer the strong voice that was so very much her, so defiant, willful, and full of life. It was shattered, broken, and full of despair. It broke Byakuya's heart seeing her like this, and when he heard her broken voice, something happened that Byakuya had never experienced in his entire life. He felt his dragon come alive inside of him, when Byakuya did not summon it. It called out and demanded that Byakuya help the broken girl in front of him, it was furious at Byakuya's lack of ability at protecting Rukia. Pushing this unsettling feeling aside, Byakuya kept attention to the girl before him.

"Yes, it's me. Everything will be okay, nothing will hurt you."

Rukia's eyes started to come back into focus, and Byakuya could see her coming back to reality. She ran towards him and grabbed onto him as if her life depended on it. Byakuya held her close to him and ran one of his hands through her hair trying to soothe her. The second she grabbed onto him, his inner counterpart relaxed immediately, which astonished Byakuya. When Byakuya was learning how to control his Dragon it took a lot of effort to calm it down, which more often than not, included complete solitude and focus. Inwardly, he sighed in relief. They stayed there for awhile before his voice broke the silence of the room.

"Are you alright?"

Silence. He tried again.

"Rukia?"

Her head nodded into his chest, but it wasn't a sufficient enough answer.

"Tell me what happened."

This time she shook her head. Which told him that she wasn't ready for it, she didn't want to talk about it.

He sighed in frustration and at her stubbornness but decided that if she didn't want to discuss it, there was a good enough reason for it. He lifted her up from the ground and chuckled at the squeak that came from her. Holding her close to his chest, Byakuya led her to the bed and laid her down gently onto the soft bedding and climbed in beside her grabbing her a pulling her close to him.

"Byakuya?! What are you doing?" She started to struggle slightly against him but he just held her tighter halting her attempts of escape.

"Going to sleep, like you should be doing." He stated smartly.

"B-but Byaku-"

"Sleep Rukia, it's alright." His tone now a bit more soothing.

She finally relaxed and when he heard her breathing steady in pace he assumed that she had finally fallen asleep. Byakuya gently kissed the top of her head, and pulled the covers up to keep her warm.

He noticed that his inner counterpart must've gone back to '_sleep_' as well. He was still bothered at the abrupt awakening of it. It had never happened to him. Byakuya had always had a natural ability at keeping his dragon at bay, he still had to train in controlling it, but it wasn't as drastic as most Draconem. Some thought that his inner dragon was in fact much weaker than that of his formidable grandfather, that he had inherited his father's weakness. However that wasn't the case in the slightest. His grandfather was in fact no match for his dragon. Byakuya had yet to meet a Pure Draconem with the power to take him down. It bothered Byakuya that the small girl lying beside him could settle him down with mere touch alone. It only added to the deep mystery developing before Byakuya… '_Who is she?' _

He intended to find out.

* * *

**Haha! How was that!? **

**I know you guys wanted some more ByaRuki scenes.. and I love to give em to you... but the best ones are for later.. ;)**

**So I hope that my foreshadowing isn't ****_too_**** obvious. but if it is. oh well. I hope it's still interesting. Because ****_I'm_**** excited about it! XD**

**Anywho.. I'll catch ya later with the next installment of ****_The_****_ Monster_.**

**Love,**

**GrandDuchess**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey everyone!  
**  
**Okay, I'm excited to say that I finally have another chapter up it definitely took me longer to write this one. but I'm happy to announce that this is the longest one by a ****_long shot. _****Some new developments! woohoo!**

Again I would like to take the time to thank each and every one of you who reviewed my previous chapters, I read every single one of them and I love them all, they make me so happy. :D

I'll stop babbling. Haha!

`GrandDuchess

* * *

_Wind brushed against Rukia's cheeks and messed her hair as she lay against the old oak of her favorite hill. Her fingertips grazed the soft grass beneath her. The song of life and nature was playing, birds were singing, the leaves were dancing, and laughter could be heard from all directions even though Rukia could see not a living soul. It was all music to her ears._

_The soft clouds made beautiful images within the blue sky, like a painting. Rukia could almost depict the stories they were trying to tell._

_She closed her eyes, resorting to just listening to her surroundings; with a smile on her face._

"_RUKIA!"_

_The smile quickly faded, replaced with panic._

* * *

Rukia's eyes shot open; her breathing slightly heavier. When her vision became clearer she realized that she was looking at Byakuya, who was sleeping, right next to her.

'_He stayed?'_

She took the chance to actually look at him. When sleeping, he looked much younger, his face less rigid. His black hair flowed smoothly down his head and some hair was in his face. Not knowing what she was doing, Rukia lifted her hand and moved them away from his eyes. When she did that he grabbed onto her tighter and brought her closer to him. She pushed against him slightly and he grunted. She chuckled at the noise he made. His face was right in her neck under her face, and she could feel his breath against the cooler skin, which made her shiver.

'_What is wrong with me?'_

To avoid any awkwardness _'Yeah, like this isn't already awkward.'_ Rukia needed to get separated from him before he woke up. But a part of her didn't want to. She really enjoyed this. She had never felt this way. She felt so safe within his strong grasp. As if nothing could ever hurt her again.

Last night was terrifying… Rukia had been foolish; foolish to think that she could truly run away from that hell. Even in her dreams they come back in devilish visions that won't stop trying to destroy everything that she is or who she loves. Had she been too naïve to think that it would be simple? She can't understand why it just won't let her go; she wants to be free from that life of fear.

When Byakuya came to her last night, Rukia couldn't even comprehend who he was at first. She thought him to be another monster coming to take her back to where she _belonged_. All of her senses had heightened to an inhuman like level; so high that it hurt to listen, to hear, and to touch. Everything was terrifying, the sounds of the fire which normally soothed her, or the smell of the old mansion which Rukia had come to like had terrified her. Her skin was cold and the hair was standing up on her neck, and when she touched the blankets it felt as if she had grabbed onto a hot iron.

When she had finally heard him call her name she calmed down. Almost like something switched inside of her. Rukia couldn't explain it. His voice had brought her back to solid ground again. She didn't even know what she was doing when she ran to him. She just needed to grab onto him, to make sure that she wasn't going to lose herself again. She didn't want to go back to the horrible place again. And holding onto him, somehow, insured that.

So, Rukia didn't want to move, she didn't want to let him go, and most of all, didn't want him to let her go either. Rukia closed her eyes again, and decided to just deal with the awkwardness later.

* * *

'_Fresh snow and lavender.'_

That's what she smelled like. It was unusual, but pleasant and Byakuya couldn't keep himself from keeping his face so close to her, even though he knew that she was already awake _'And probably feeling very awkward.'_ He just couldn't help himself. He didn't want this moment of bliss to end. She fit perfectly within his arms and Byakuya had never slept better his entire life. She was perfect.

Momentarily he had thought about actually getting up, she was probably dying of embarrassment, which Byakuya slightly chuckled at the thought. But, he dreaded it. Leaving her side sounded like a terrible idea. How could he leave when he could lie here in complete happiness?

Byakuya regrettably opened his eyes to detach himself from the little angel in his arms. He moved his head back and he noticed that her hands had clasped themselves onto the front of his clothing. '_So, she didn't want to let me go?' _He chuckled softly. Byakuya moved her hands within his own and whispered.

"I know you're up, Rukia."

Byakuya watched as she opened her eyes slowly and met his gaze.

A beat.

After awhile she broke the comfortable silence.

"_Thank you, Byakuya." _She said almost inaudibly.

His eyes softened as he looked at the innocent human girl before him. He didn't say anything. He just reached over and kissed her forehead, he didn't know what made him do it, he just wanted to. He didn't want to just say 'You're welcome' because he would never have done this for anyone. He wanted Rukia to know that she mattered to him even though she barely knew him. He just knew that she was going to be an important part of his life. Deep down… he knew it.

His lips felt soft and warm against her skin. Rukia blushed before he pulled away. She heard him laugh softly when he saw her, which only made her blush worst. She untangled herself from him immediately and jumped from the bed to straighten her hair. Byakuya just laid there watching her. Flustered, Rukia mumbled something about breakfast then darted to the door. Everything was just too confusing and awkward to handle right now. She really needed to get a clear head and drink something cold to cool herself off. '_Damn him for making me… so… flustered!'_ She inwardly yelled as she headed to the kitchen at a fast pace.

Behind her Byakuya chuckled when he watched Rukia run away from him. She was so endearing. She was so incredible to him. Her liveliness was infectious, and made him smile so often. Which was very unusual for Byakuya, he never showed his emotions to people so easily. During his entire life everything had been so boring, so rigid, so drawn out. Ever since he was a child, he needed to strive for perfection, and Byakuya began to wonder if it was all worth it. He started to want to just be… happy… to be loved. Thoughts like these had never come to Byakuya's mind before; he always thought them to be childish and silly. But watching Rukia run away from him made him just want to run to her and wrap her up into his arms, to keep her close forever. Byakuya shook his head as he headed to his bedroom to freshen up for the day.

* * *

Rukia looked up from her cooking when a figure appeared at the doorway.

"Good Morning... How's breakfast coming along?"

"Er… Good. Is there anything you want specifically?"

"No anything is fine."

Byakuya walked up beside Rukia to help her with cooking, but as he got close, Rukia backed away quickly.

"Rukia?"

"Yes?" She quickly got busy with something else, pretending that nothing was wrong. Byakuya looked at her with some confusion… Was she ignoring him?

"Are you okay?"

She looked up at him with slight surprise on her face.

"Yes, I'm fine. Why?"

"I hope that I didn't do anything to scare you."

"Let's not talk about it. Okay?"

"What are we talking about here Rukia? You being practically scared to death last night, or you and I sharing a bed together; because I'm a bit more curious to the first."

"How about we talk about neither."

"You can't run away forever Ruk-"

"_Watch me."_

Her eyes were resolute in her declaration. Byakuya had never seen an expression like that on her face before. His chest tightened at the thought of her leaving, of her running away from him. No, not from him. Byakuya realized that it wasn't him that she was running away from; she was talking about something else, someone else.

"What are you so afraid of?"

"Why do you care to know? We don't know each other and we aren't friends. I'm only here because you saved my life and I don't like owing people anything." She spat angrily.

"I'm curious as to why your life was in need of saving. Because it's quite obvious that _someone_ was hurting you. When you came to me, you had several broken bones, bruises covering most of you body, and you were barely breathing. Those bruises were weeks old, and I doubt that you were on that rampaging horse for weeks, so tell me Rukia, who gave them to you?"

Rukia was furious, furious and… scared. Byakuya was right; it wasn't fair of her to keep so much from him. But what was she to do? She couldn't tell him. She felt damaged, not good enough. Looking at him, he was perfect, how could she compare to him when she was such a pathetic victim. It infuriated Rukia to be so weak, she hated being weak. Why couldn't her past just leave her alone? Why couldn't she just be happy? She couldn't tell him; at least not yet.

"I'm going to get to work." As she walked away from the kitchen she felt a warm hand grab her wrist and pull her back slightly. She looked back at Byakuya; his expression was irritated and slightly… hurt?

"You're right, we aren't friends and I don't intend to be your _friend_. I intend to be more than that." He pulled her closer to him, as his voice reverberated with tension. "I need you to trust me, because I swear upon this. If someone dares to hurt something that I _care_ about; they will suffer the consequences in the most painful of ways." Rukia's eyes widened as he continued. "And trust me, I don't care about many things. But you..." He looked at her, with a look Rukia could not recognize. It made her heart beat a little faster. "You managed to become something that I care about, within these short days. It's unbelievable really. But you have."

Rukia was speechless, she didn't know how to respond to him.

"_Rukia."_

He squeezed her wrist, as if he were scared she was going to run away from him. She felt like she should. These were things that she didn't want to accept right now. It was too soon, she didn't know how she truly felt about Byakuya. She just didn't trust anyone like she should. There was too much pain that surrounded her. She had trusted the wrong people before, and the consequences of trusting someone that you can't…. is just too hard. It was too soon.

"_I'm sorry._ I can't. It's too soon. I'm just going to get back to work. The quicker I'm done cleaning the sooner I can get out of your life. Trust me; it's for the best, Byakuya."

The grip around her wrist loosened and Rukia darted out the door, forgetting about the food that she had prepared. She didn't even look up at him. She couldn't look at him right now. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she ran. '_Dammit, Rukia! Why are you crying!?'_ She ran faster. She didn't even know where too, just away from these feelings.

* * *

Rejected.

Denied.

Never before had Byakuya been rejected like this. His chest hurt. He had shown her himself and she ran off. With a snap of his fingers, the kitchen started cleaning itself, the pots and pans were levitating in the air and placing themselves back to place where they belonged. Byakuya ignored it and left the kitchen to his study. He wasn't going to look for her. He had to prepare for his journey to the central kingdom. He only had a few days before he had to leave.

He should tell her that he was leaving, he was going to ask her to go with him, but maybe it _was_ too soon. Honestly speaking he didn't know how she was going to respond to him, or why he even said those things in the first place. He wasn't himself lately. She brought out a completely different person in him. He needed time too, maybe. Byakuya went to his bedroom adjacent to his study and went to his closet to prepare his standard Captain's uniform. He was going to leave a couple days early. If Rukia wanted time and space, he was going to give it to her.

* * *

Rukia was focused.

Whenever something was bothering her, she always made sure to do something to ease her mind.

However it wasn't helping. No matter how hard she scrubbed, or how fast she wiped. She couldn't stop thinking about the events of last night and this morning. She hated herself for acting like she had in front of Byakuya, but she just needed to get out of that room. She just needed to get this cleaning done. She felt like such a hindrance to him. She needed to run away. '_Run where?'_ the inner voice was true. Rukia hated the running. She wanted to stop living in such fear. It wasn't a fear of her father, it was a fear of being… _trapped_. She was trapped for her entire life. Having to live up to her father's expectations, which was only be there for him to beat when he felt stressed, and do the 'womanly chores'. The thought brought a shudder to Rukia. She hated being trapped.

"_Rukia."_

At the sound of his voice she jumped slightly. She turned to look at the familiar voice and Byakuya was standing in the doorway of the room that she was cleaning. He was dressed in black military style clothing and had a hat tucked underneath his arm. Confused to what he was wearing, Rukia was about to ask but was interrupted.

"I need to leave for the central kingdom. It's a day's journey on horseback. I'm not sure how long I will be gone. Most likely, a few days. I'll see you then. Well, that is if you decide to _stay_."

And as quickly as he arrived he left. Turned his back to her and bristly walked away. Rukia's chest tightened. He must be really angry with her… He had plenty of reason to be. Rukia jumped up as he walked away and ran to the doorway.

"Byakuya!" He stopped walking but didn't turn around. "Have a good trip." Part of Rukia didn't want him to leave so abruptly… and leave after the cruel things she said. Rukia solemnly looked down as Byakuya left without saying another word.

* * *

It had been two days since he left; and in those two days… he hadn't stopped thinking about Rukia. Byakuya sighed in frustration as he sat in the room where he was staying. The Royal Guard wanted to see him right away, but Byakuya still hadn't made his presence known. He was dragging his feet to say the least. However the time was drawing near, and he would soon be staying at the palace. He wondered how Rukia was. He hoped that when he came back that she would still be there. She was just so… fragile. He couldn't figure her out. She was so secretive, an unsolvable puzzle to Byakuya. Exploiting Rukia was the furthest thing from his mind, he just wanted to know. Because it bothered Byakuya; bothered him at how _useless_ he felt when it came to her.

5 o'clock. Time to see the Guard.

Byakuya stood from where he sat and left the room.

The palace was massive.

It was a bit excessive to Byakuya. When the nation's people are below poverty, renovating the palace probably should be the last thing to address.

It irritated Byakuya.

These _people_ irritated him.

Byakuya showed the guards his letter addressed from The Royal Guard and they directed him to the main gates.

"Kuchiki-Taichou!" Byakuya didn't look up at the advisor running to him, instead he kept his attention toward his horse who would be staying in the stables.

"We are so grateful to have one of your stature to come during these dire times."

"Do not be so bureaucratic with me. If I actually _had_ a choice in coming, I surely would not be here." Byakuya replied in his usual icy tone.

"Ah. Sorry sorry. Old habits die hard as they say. Right?" The advisor smiled a less then settling smile towards Byakuya. "My name is Uruhara. It's a pleasure to meet you. I will be the one to direct you to where you will be staying, and briefing you about our situation on the way."

Byakuya only nodded as Uruhara turned and headed off towards the main doors of the palace. Byakuya's head shot up when he sensed it. _'Draconem. Is their situation really that dire? Or is this insolent king more arrogant than I thought?'_

"You summoned others?" Byakuya's head gestured toward a group as he asked Uruhara.

"Ah yes. The more the merrier here!" Uruhara smiled. Byakuya frowned more.

Byakuya made sure to keep a distance from his kind. They had a nasty reputation when it came to territory; even though Byakuya was more powerful than these lizards by a long shot. Byakuya still was wary of confrontation. After the war, his kind sought refuge with the humans. For the most part they split apart and agreed to the treaty. No matter how much they hated them, it is tradition for the Draconem to uphold their agreements.

The group stopped talking and looked at Byakuya as he walked by, heads bowed to show respect, like they were supposed to. The Kuchiki's were a powerful family in their world, even now. If there is one thing that you do not want to do, it's piss off a Kuchiki.

"Now, I am going to give you a brief explanation as to what has been going on." Uruhara started talking the second they hit the stairs to the upper levels of the palace. "The Southern Kingdom is declaring war on us because of, well let's be honest here, another sibling dispute. But let's not tell anyone that I said that okay? Okay. Now normally as an advisor, I would just advise the King to settle it diplomatically but he is pretty determined to go to war. What is the main issue you ask? A girl. Yes. You heard correctly a girl. Those twins always find the best things to fight over."

Byakuya's patience was wearing thin.

"You summoned me here. And several others of my kind. Because _your _King has a crush on his brothers queen?"

Uruhara looked back with an almost apologetic look on his face.

"Not the queen… his mistress, she's the root of the problem. You see. The southern kingdom is threatening that they have powerful weapons that can take our cities and decimate our populations with minimal effort. Personally I don't care _who_ has the whore. I just don't want weapons with that kind of power to be in either of their hands."

"Do you know what the weapon does?"

"No. We don't even know if it truly exists. But we just need to know for sure."

Inwardly Byakuya sighed. This had become what he had feared it to be, just another temper tantrum with no true reason.

"Did you advise for the late King?"

"Ah, those were the days. No babysitting." Urahara smiled while waving a fan in the air.

"Byakuya."

"Kuchiki-Taichou to you."

"Sorry sorry! _Kuchiki-Taichou_. Thank you for coming all the way down here. I know that these Kings can be a bit of a pain, they are young, and they do not know any better. After their father died, they changed. They became quite selfish and arrogant. But please. I, for one, am seriously concerned about this 'weapon'. If the southern kingdom actually have the advancements for something like this, it could cause catastrophic damage to _both_ nations; I do not think that our leaders have thought of this, clouded with biased hate."

"I understand. I'll find out if there is a weapon or not, and if there is, I will disable it."

"Thank you Kuchiki-Taichou. However, I would be more comforted to know that more than one of you went on the mission."

"I do not work well with others."

"Ah yes, but you are a natural leader. You work well _ordering_ others."

Byakuya stood in silence. He didn't want to command multiple draconem for something like this. But he may need it; he didn't know _how_ powerful this weapon is, if it exists. And if he has more of his kind, it could prove useful.

"I do not know why you wanted me to stay for more than one day if you were going to brief me."

"Ah, I actually wasn't supposed to, the generals wanted to brief you… wanted to make sure that you were _on board_."

"Fine, but I command my kind, not the Royal Guard."

"Well I wouldn't say it like that. They don't like being told they aren't in charge. They get huffy and puffy." Uruhara laughed at his own joke while he directed Byakuya through the palace.

"Where are the generals? I would like to speak to them now. I want to get back as soon as possible; I have other matters at home."

"Oh you do not want to stay here for the night? Is it not a long journey back to your home?"

"It isn't too bad. If worst comes to worst the others of my kind can come with me while we come up with a plan, my estate can accommodate them." The second the words left his mouth, his dragon flamed in anger, surprising Byakuya as he struggled to keep his aura under control. He must've achieved it because Uruhara seemed unaffected.

"Alright, if you say so. This way."

Uruhara lead him through the labyrinth of hallways and doors. It reminded Byakuya a bit of his estate. Finally at the left wing they came to a stop at a massive archway, with older men swearing and yelling at each other in a large room with a massive table sitting in the middle with thirty seats. Byakuya assessed the room, ten men in total, five generals, five cadets. Upon entering, they had all silenced themselves looking towards the new arrival.

"Kuchiki-Taichou. It's a pleasure." One of the balding men came up and reached out to shake Byakuya's hand. Byakuya didn't return the gesture, he wasn't as welcoming. The man finally put his hand down in defeat and walked back to his seat. The room took on another aura as the other draconem entered the room as well. Four of them; all males and all seemingly strong, judging by the aura that entered the room. They all stood near Byakuya but not too close, they knew their place. One had outlandish red hair, tied up at the top of his head, with markings on his face and arms. He had a wild look about him; hotheaded definitely. Byakuya resisted rolling his eyes.

"We are in a dire situation and we need the assistance of _your_ kind." A stumpy old balding man claimed.

"What do you have against _our_ kind? You seem to have a tone." The shortest draconem chimed, he had ice blue eyes and spiky snow white hair.

"_Shiro-san. _Behave." An older draconem standing adjacent to the shorter one scolded him. He had equally snow white hair but it was much longer. He looked very calm and somewhat reasonable with an aura of positive energy. "Apologies, my little nephew doesn't know how to act around his elders appropriately!" He had an apologetic look in his eye. His nephew just rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest.

"_I _will do the speaking from here on out." Byakuya said with a strong voice as he looked at the two white haired dragon-kind. "The child is right."

"I AM NOT A CH-" The interruption was silenced as the older man held his hand to the young boys face while smiling an apologetic smile again. Byakuya looked away and back at the Generals.

"As I was saying, the child is right, you do seem to have some problem with our kind, however I do _not_ care. Because I have plenty against your..._ underdeveloped _kind." The red haired draconem chuckled slightly as the humans went into an uproar of offended tones.

"Silence." Byakuya ordered. They sat back in their seats with red faces and clenched fists. "I have already been briefed to the situation at hand by one of the advisors. And even though I think your King and his equally naive brother are having yet another temper tantrum like the ignorant children they _are_, I do not feel comfortable with letting either of them have the power to decimate populations whenever they choose too. So. I will make this quick, because being in your presence is lowering my intelligence as I speak." A couple of the men behind Byakuya started chuckling, but when Byakuya looked back at them they quickly silenced themselves. "The men behind me and myself will go to the southern nation and assess if there really is a weapon of mass destruction, if there is, we will destroy it." After saying this, the generals stood up, their faces red with anger and they were shouting incoherent words. "Obviously, only one of you can speak, or else I will have trouble understanding." Byakuya stated bored.

"YOU ARROGANT BAST-" At that moment, Byakuya let out a particularly large burst of energy, effectively silencing the older men and bringing them back to their seats as their legs gave out on them. His aura was sharp and suffocated the room. Not being able to control it, the other draconem bowed their heads instantly as Byakuya continued.

"It would be wise of you to **not** finish that sentence because you will surely regret it." Byakuya stared at the offending man with a stare of ice. "I hope I do not have to keep reminding your kind at how pathetically _weak_ you are compared to me, it does get a bit tiring after awhile." Byakuya made sure his voice was interlaced with complete contempt and disgust as he spoke.

Finally one of the men started speaking, having controlled a bit of his offended rage.

"We need that weapon."

"Why? So you can feel important? So you can also have the power to decimate hundreds of thousands of innocent lives? No, you do not need a power like that, and if I have any say in the matter, you will not."

"You are not to decide, we called you here and you need to listen to us, that is what the treaty says."

"The treaty says no such thing. The treaty states that our kind must agree to assist you in dire situations; it does not say anything about _blindly_ following you. You do not command me. I command myself at your benefit." Byakuya stood there almost bored as he retorted his argument; these humans were annoying him more and more. "Are we understood? I do not want you tarnishing the agreement that our ancestors made and that we follow because it doesn't fit your desires. My kind actually upholds our agreements even when they are generations old."

Finally one of the men sitting at the table stood calmly.

"Fine. Do what you wish. Destroy it. It would be foolish to think that we will change your mind."

"Well would you look at that; a spark of intelligence in your species. Finally, you're evolving." Byakuya replied coldly as he turned to leave, the red head was laughing and the short one was grinning. Byakuya didn't care; he wasn't there to make friends. He just wanted this to be over with. As Byakuya was walking towards the exit he started speaking to his 'subordinates'.

"I can't stand being here any longer. We will make our strategy plans at my estate. It's a day's journey. We leave now." When he said this, his inner counterpart flamed to life again with ferocious anger.

'_Why are you being territorial? Stop acting like a child.'_ He mock scolded his dragon. '**_You are a fool.'_**Byakuya's eyes widened. His dragon had _never_ spoken to him before. Byakuya couldn't believe it. If his dragon was actually conscious... Byakuya didn't have as much control over his other half as he originally thought. '_You made me believe I had control.' _'**_Do not take me for some pre-pubescent reptile that marks his territory. I do not care for something as trivial as your precious family estate. I care for something much more important that you seem to keep putting in harm's way.'_**Realization hit Byakuya. He just invited four male dragons into his territory. While _Rukia_ is there. '_I will be there, she will not be hurt. I will not let that happen. I am much more capable than you give me credit for.' __**'Pray tell that nothing does happen. Because you will regret it, and this is not a threat, I cannot threaten you for that would be threatening me, this is just an undeniable consequence of foolishness.'**_His counterpart faded back into the far reaches of his consciousness, his last words still in Byakuya's mind.

'_Gods, what the hell is happening to me?_

* * *

**Yay now I get to the really fun parts of the story!**

I really hope you liked it, and if anything is confusing just review me and I try to answer your questions!

The next chapter is going to be awesome, so keep checking for my next update!

Until next time.

`GrandDuchess


	8. Chapter 8

**Greetings! **

**I bring to you chapter 8 of The Monster! Sorry if you've been waiting, I just got back home from a trip! (I had a ton of fun) Anyway really fun chapter to write, many interesting plot developments that leave me thinking on how I'll continue through this story. Oh and I have started on another FanFic so keep a lookout! Completely different AU than this one, still ByaRuki, because you can never have enough of that! ;)**

Thank you to everyone that has reviewed the previous chapter and have followed/Favorited. I'm really happy that people actually like my little story. Now I definitely don't have a lot of experience so this has been a learning experience for me, so please if you see anything that could make this story better or just help me with my writing ability, tell me! I love hearing on how I can do better! I'm a total amateur!

Anyway, thank you again. I love all of you. You are amazing!

`GrandDuchess

* * *

"So… shall we get past introductions?" Renji broke the silence of the group.

It had been about three hours into the journey, and awkward was an understatement. With only four of them, it shouldn't be too hard to make friends. Only required a bit of talking… and if there was one thing that Renji was good at, it was talking.

"Whatever you wish." Kuchiki-Taichou responded coldly.

"Er okay.. well.. My name is Abarai Renji and I'm from the fire country of our homela-."

"Why did you mark your face like that? Thought it would make you prettier?" The white haired brat said smartly.

"No. I didn't you cocky midget. "

"DON'T CALL ME A MIDGET!"

"Do I sense some insecurities?"

The brat was red in the face and if he could telepathically kill someone, Renji would probably be dead. Renji chuckled at the hotheadedness of the kid, it reminded him of himself when he was that age, hell, even still.

"Insecurities aside, what's your name kid?"

"Hitsugaya Toushiro." He said gruffly.

"And that's your uncle?" Renji pointed to the man with the snow white hair, similar to Toushiro.

"Ukitake Juushiro is my name. You can call me 'uncle' too though, makes things easier." He smiled softly towards Renji. He looked gentle, soft even; a gentle beast. His aura seemed weak, but his nephew made up for it. A strong fluctuating cold aura emanated from the kid. Almost as if he could lose control at any moment. He truly did have the potential to become one of the greats, like a Kuchiki. Renji looked toward the regal figure riding the strong black horse. He really was one of the greats, you could tell just by a moments glance. The fourth figure was riding behind Renji, keeping away from the group, maintaining distance… translation… 'I have secrets, leave me alone.' This only made Renji curious. Renji was nosy, he knew. But he didn't care.

"Okay, now it's your turn." Renji backed his horse up slowing him down as he spoke to the mysterious man. He had a hood on but Renji could see jet black hair underneath it, much like Kuchiki-Taichou's hair. His hands were calloused and strong as he held the reigns. Renji usually could read people with just a glance, see what they were like, feel their aura, and sense their power. But this cloaked figure was a puzzle, he hid it, which was unusual for their kind. There was no need to keep it hidden anymore. The humans couldn't sense it, and their kind was so few in numbers that finding another one of their kind was almost exciting. So why hide it? He could have no aura, just be a weak draco, but this guy just had this part of him that seemed to prove otherwise. Renji waited for a response.

The man looked up and gave Renji a piercing gaze, which froze Renji, his eyes were so intense, as if he had stories that could make the most hardened soldier cry. And it wasn't pain or sadness that Renji saw in this man's eyes, it was pure hidden anger.

"Kouga." His voice was rough and low, to go along with his hardened exterior. Renji involuntarily shuddered when he heard the sound of it. "You can call me, Kouga."

* * *

It had been almost three days since Byakuya had left. Rukia worked hard, dusted, swept, wiped, and organized, anything that could keep her from thinking about Byakuya.

She wanted to reciprocate his feelings, wanted to verbalize them, tell him that she felt special within his arms, tell him that when she slept next to him she had never slept better, and tell him that she felt safe with him. It was just so hard for her to begin loving someone, to start trusting someone, when everyone that was _supposed_ love her, didn't. In some ways, she felt selfish. Byakuya hadn't done anything to deserve her treatment, her distrust. He deserved so much more… so much more than _her_. Maybe it was self-consciousness that kept her from being honest with him, fear of being rejected… no… not rejected… left. She didn't want to love someone that could just as quickly leave her.

Rukia sighed as she thought about all these troubling things. Deciding that it was the best thing, she was going to give it a try, try to trust him, and truly be something… not just a victim. She was going to tell him. When he got back from the city, she would tell him everything. Even though it went against everything that secured her, protected her, she would tell him. Because… she trusted him. Hell, he saved her life when no one asked him too. He nursed her back to health when he could've left her to suffer. But he didn't, he was a good man. She could trust him. She owed him at least that.

Rukia got up from her knees after scrubbing the floor of another guest room, the floor still wet from the cleaning. The estate looked completely different from when she first started here. Before, dust and cobwebs covered the intricately detailed furnishings and moldings. And now, everything shone brightly and gloriously, as if new. It truly was a remarkable place, and Rukia was beginning to love every bit of it. She loved the old stone floors, and the delicate details interlaid within the tiles, loved the massive fireplace that made such an impression when you first enter the walls.

While cleaning and organizing a storage room in the west wing, Rukia was awed by the assortment of miscellaneous knick knacks and seemingly mystical items. She had spent hours, taking her time, organizing and sorting out all of the items. Investigating each one until she felt satisfied, which she rarely did, she just needed to get on to the next thing or else nothing would get done. Questions overwhelmed Rukia, where did these items come from? Why did Byakuya have them? Were they family heirlooms, or a collection of random objects? She couldn't wait until he came back, there was so much to be asked and talked about. She actually found herself somewhat… excited.

Rukia shook her head as she went through another chest of objects.

* * *

"Kouga? That's an interesting name." Renji inquired.

"Is it?" Kouga looked back down at his horse.

"Well… then… what's your last name?" The brightly red haired Draco asked Kouga.

"If I wanted you to know, I would have said it in the first place."

"Okay... I get it. We're strangers here, but hey, I just like to get to know who I'm dealing with. We _will_ be working side by side you know."

"Times have changed, we Draco's were at _war _not too long ago, remember? Many of our kind killed one another because of a name, because of the power behind names. Our names are not just for the sake of calling someone, our names show who we come from, what we stand for. Information like that can get you killed, or start wars. So forgive me if I keep my true name to myself."

Byakuya was listening in on their conversation, however he didn't care all too much; other things were on Byakuya's mind. His mind kept drifting too the violet eyes that haunted his thoughts, the wonderful smile that made his chest warm, that delicate body that held on to him tight throughout the night. He sighed; he wished that he could figure her out. Be closer to her. It all felt so strange to him. These feelings were so foreign to Byakuya. He truly just acted upon impulse, because he _didn't _know what to do. He didn't want to scare her, to cause her discomfort. She seemed to have some amount of feelings for him, she hugged him, she genuinely thanked him, and she looked at him with a sort of admiration or adoration that he couldn't pinpoint. But she made him happy; she made him feel like he was protecting something, that he was responsible for something. He looked up toward the sky lost in thought; he truly hoped that she had stayed.

"Woman you love back home?" Byakuya turned with surprise visible upon his features. The man that called himself Juushiro remarked at him. _'Am I that obvious?'_ He could hear the other men behind him having a mild conversation; they were seemingly not paying attention to him or Juushiro.

"Why do you ask?" Byakuya said coldly.

"I know that look well." Juushiro's expression conveyed a look of knowing.

"And what look is that?"

"_That_ look, right there." He pointed at Byakuya's face.

"Well I can't see it now can I?"

"No, I guess you can't." Juushiro laughed warmly. "But, I tell you what." He paused as he brought his horse closer to Byakuya's and leaned forward a bit. "Next time you look at yourself in the mirror, think about her." He leaned back again and pulled the reigns slightly. "Then you'll know what I'm talking about."

"Who are you?" Byakuya asked, this man seemed somewhat interesting.

"Who am _I_? Well, I come from the Ukitake family." His look was a bit more solemn. Byakuya knew of them. They were an old noble family, his grandfather taught him about all of the old noble families and what they were like before the war. His grandfather was a part of the war, but Byakuya hadn't been born until shortly after they sought refuge with the humans. The Ukitake's were allies of the Kuchiki's, but it meant little now.

"Ah."

"We all know _you _however Kuchiki-Taichou. You are a very honorable man and I feel most comfortable with you being our leader in this tedious task."

"Thank you." Byakuya was used to flattery. He wasn't one for boasting, but he did deserve it. Honesty was his trait, not boastfulness. However he did have some humility and always verbalized his appreciation at others observations. But this was all from him being a Kuchiki, one of the four great families of their kind.

The journey trekked on, for several hours. They kept up conversation without getting too private, mainly they talked about unnecessary things such as women, gambling, and odd jobs around the human districts. There was some laughing and arguing, but it was all in good nature. At least they could get along fairly well. Byakuya and Kouga, however, remained silent throughout the trek.

"AUGH! We have been riding for **hoooouurs**. How much longer until we get to your place?"

Byakuya looked back at hearing the childish complaint, a look of complete annoyance on his features. Renji silenced himself upon looking at Byakuya's facial expression, obviously feeling a bit stupid.

"I hope that you can handle long journeys. We will be traveling to the southern kingdom soon. That journey will most likely be longer than a day's worth." Byakuya let his last sentence hang in the air before continuing. "A few more hours Abarai."

"H-hai." Renji replied unconfidently almost flushing in embarrassment.

Byakuya didn't want to go to the southern kingdom. It would mean weeks of travel. Honestly speaking, he wasn't comfortable with Rukia being alone at his estate for weeks; she couldn't come with him either. It would be much too dangerous. Problems, there were always problems. He ran a hand through his hair out of silent frustration. He wasn't even going to think of the consequences of bringing four male dragons into his territory with the woman that he loved innocently staying there. The very thought made his inner counterpart growl in anger.

'_No harm will come to her, I will be there to protect her, and none of these imbeciles would dare to disrespect me. I will make the territory perfectly clear.'_ He tried to comfort himself with the thought.

"I forgot to mention… I do have rules at the estate. And if any are broken serious consequences will befall you." Byakuya started the lecture while he led the group. "Stay only in the areas that I show you personally, I will have no tolerance for curiosity. We will plan the mission in my main hall and we will do so in a timely matter, I want to put this to rest. Am I understood?" Byakuya finally looked back and acknowledged the group. They all nodded their heads or just had a look of agreement. Good thing they know the number one rule… never piss off a Kuchiki.

As the group was drawing near to the estate, Byakuya was getting restless. He really wanted to see Rukia. '_Was she still there?'_ The thought of wrapping his arms around her and never letting go was tempting. He wanted to keep her a secret, didn't want any one of the other men to know of her existence, it would be hard… but possible; so naturally, he was going to try. He found that he would try anything for her… '_She is having the strangest effect on me…'_

"Wow… nice place… the Kuchiki's don't mess around huh?" Abarai seemed it necessary to talk constantly… Byakuya had never wanted to kill somebody as many times in such a short period of time. The red haired hot head never shut up. He was loud, obnoxious, overbearing at times, and childish. Byakuya felt that problems would arise between the two of them. He continued to ignore Abarai, being friendly wasn't an interest of Byakuya's.

Abarai and Toushiro seemed to enjoy arguing with each other, which only pressed Byakuya's patience, but he had quite a bit of it… surprisingly. Ukitake tried to get Kouga to talk more, but like Byakuya, he wasn't interested in friendship and didn't say much.

They reached the stables and got off their horses and tended to them.

"So, Kuchiki-Taichou… You have no one that does this for you? I would've thought that a man of your means would've had plenty of servants to do the menial tasks." Renji said almost judgingly. Byakuya, however, just glared at him and finally responded after he finished putting his horse in its rightful place.

"I wouldn't call myself a people person; I would rather do it myself than be bothered by others."

Renji silently acknowledged Byakuya and nodded his head in agreement. Byakuya started walking to the main doors of the estate while the other men finished tending to their horses. He needed to find Rukia and get her in a corner of the estate without being noticed by the others and keep her there… if she was still here.

* * *

Rukia sat in the library with a cup of tea in her hands; the warmth of the cup transferring to her sore hands and soothing them. She sat and looked up toward the intricate ceilings as she waited for Byakuya to come back. Yes. Rukia was waiting for him, quite impatiently if she must add. She felt pathetic. The only thing that had been on her mind while she cleaned this unbelievably large mansion was Byakuya. Upon finishing the _entire _mansion, which was serving as her only distraction, she was clueless on what to do next. Aimlessly wandering the grounds occupied only a few hours, but that wasn't going to cut it. Making a cup of tea and waiting for Byakuya while she thought of a proper apology was the only thing that she could think to do just hoped that he would come back soon so that she could make it right between the two of them, even if he didn't accept her apologies and kicked her out, she still would've said what she needed to say, which was better than nothing. Wholeheartedly, she hoped that he wouldn't deny her apologies.

Then she heard the main doors open to the castle.

* * *

Byakuya's eyes widened at the sight of the estate. It was perfect.

He hadn't seen it so beautiful since he was a young boy. The chandeliers were polished, the vases dusted, the floors scrubbed, and the tall windows were spotless. Byakuya was speechless. His heart picked up speed. '_Is she finished? Did she leave?'_ His chest tightened at the thought. He turned to see the men still putting the horses away and laughing amongst themselves. He wanted to run through the elaborate mansion and rush through every room to see if she was there. However the men were coming up behind him, and he couldn't.

**_'In the library.'_**

'Rukia? _How can you tell?'_

**_'Unlike you, I know where my priorities lie.'_**

Byakuya felt almost enraged at the challenge. _'That doesn't answer my question.'_

**_'You will know soon enough.'_**

Byakuya was confused but felt a sense of relief at knowing that she did in fact stay. A weight seemingly lifted off of his shoulders. He was still slightly curious at his inner voices' words, but he didn't pay too much attention to it. He needed to get these dragons to their chambers. As soon as he was finished with that he could see Rukia again and get things settled between the two of them.

"Damn, nice place… it's amazing in here."

"I would have to agree Kuchiki-san, it looks very beautiful in here." Ukitake said kindly.

"Address me as Taichou or don't address me at all." Byakuya snapped. He didn't want them to have any question as to who was the authoritive figure in this household.

"My apologies Kuchiki Taichou, I meant no disrespect."Juushiro was taken aback slightly but apologized nonetheless. Byakuya just nodded in agreement.

"Follow me, you all will be residing in the west hall for your short stay. While being here, you will _stay_ in the west hall. The kitchen is at the far end." He pointed down the hallway at the massive doors while he continued on. "Bathrooms are in that room over there, you are free to do what you like in this hall, I don't care."

"Why do you not want us going in the other parts of the house?" Renji interrupted with his hand up in the air like an idiot.

Byakuya slowly walked up to Renji and stared him in the eyes, not saying anything. Renji backed away a couple steps but Byakuya just took a couple more. Then finally broke the silence.

"My house, my rules. I don't appreciate curiosity and I don't have patience for blatant stupidity. If you test me, you will die. Have I made myself _clear_?" Byakuya looked right into Renji's eyes and held his gaze, demanding respect and no insubordination. The other men bowed low after Byakuya had released enough menacing aura to bring the strongest man to his knees, however Renji was frozen in fear. Which is exactly what Byakuya wanted, he wanted them to fear him, because they should, he was not going to risk Rukia's life because they were curious or because he didn't instill enough fear into them.

"Yes sir." Renji stood straight and submitted to Byakuya. He did exactly what he needed to.

"Alright, rest for awhile, I don't want to be on a mission when everyone is exhausted." He looked at the small group and they all nodded silently, except for Kouga, who didn't say much of anything, or acknowledge anything. Byakuya looked at him assessing his capability. "Kouga you haven't said much of anything. Do _you_ have any questions?" Byakuya tested him.

"Absolutely not sir, I am not as stupid as you think, I would never go against someone of your stature." Resentment could be heard in his tone. '_So he hated me?_'Byakuya didn't care, he'd deal with it later. Byakuya looked at Kouga for a moment before finally turning away to leave.

* * *

Rukia was such a coward. She was still sitting in the library.

'_I should greet him. Talk to him. See him. Something.'_ She thought to herself. The cup of tea went cold, so she got up to the kettle sitting next to the fire keeping warm and poured more into her cup.

'_What do I say?'_ For the life of her she didn't know how to bring it all up… didn't know how to tell him everything about her. She wanted to, she did, but she hadn't done so before, to anybody.

The only person that truly knew everything about her, and still loved her, was dead.

Rukia sighed as she sat down again. Thinking about her grandfather never led to good dreams.

She started hearing footsteps walking towards the doors and she sat a little straighter. He came to find her instead of her finding him. She felt a little flutter in her chest at the thought that maybe he wasn't going to deny her, throw her out, or maybe that's what he was doing. Coming to kick her out.

She went still when the doors opened.  
_  
_Three days since he had last seen her. Her black hair was sitting at shoulder length and had a wavy look to it. Her entrancing eyes were locked onto his in surprise and her mouth was slightly open almost inviting. '_What am I thinking?'_ He shook his head from the thoughts. He walked towards her with a smiling threatening to make an appearance, it never ceased to amaze him, just the mere sight of her made him smile in happiness. '_You are the one for me Rukia, and you will never leave my side.' _He silently vowed.

"Hello Rukia." He calmly greeted, even though his heart was racing.

"H-hello Byakuya." She responded as she stood from her seat. She took a deep breath as if she was about to pour out everything right there. He stilled, waiting for her.

"Um, we… we should talk." Her lack of confidence was slightly amusing; of course he would talk with her, that's all he wanted. Just to talk to her. Be with her. Briefly Byakuya thought that she just wanted to tell him that her work was done, and that she had repaid her debt. The thought made Byakuya clench his fists. Tell him that she was going to leave him here alone in this bloody massive estate again, where he was completely alone, where he thought that he wanted to be for the rest of his life. But that was only because he didn't know… he didn't know about _her._

"We should, Rukia." He went to the seat adjacent to the one she was previously sitting in and gestured for her to sit again as he himself sat down. She hesitantly sat with her hands on her knees as she looked down.

"I'm sorry." She whispered as Byakuya's eyes widened. "There is so much for me to tell you, and truth be told. I don't know… _how._" He listened to her intently letting her finish he wasn't going to rush her, he was going to let her do the talking. She paused before continuing…

Then the door opened and a figure came into the doorway.

Rukia looked toward the intrusion and bolted upright. The look on her face was of pure terror, the blood rushed from her face making her deathly white. Her hands started shaking at her sides and she immediately made them into fists.

The words that shakily came out of her mouth stunned Byakuya into complete silence.

_"Otou-san?"_

Standing at the door with a deathly still expression was Kouga.

Kouga the Draconem.

* * *

The air was still; her father's piercing gaze was strong and he was looking straight into her eyes. Rukia stood frozen in fear as she looked straight back at him. Never had she thought that she would see him again. She didn't think that she would ever have to confront him again. The very thought terrified her before, but she just pushed aside and claimed paranoia. But here he was, in front of her looking at her, instilling fear into her. Byakuya interrupted the silence by walking up in front of Rukia and put his hands back to protect her… if he only knew how futile that was. Rukia clenched her fist to stop them from shaking, her knuckles were white from pressure.

"Kouga, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in the left wing. Did I not make myself _clear?_" Byakuya's voice was laced with anger… wait… Byakuya knew him? How did they know each other? Why was her father here? She looked at Byakuya, hoping that he would be able to clarify what was going on.

Byakuya continued to stare at Kouga with a dark gaze… he was furious. He didn't think someone would be that stupid to disobey him directly. He was Rukia's father? She looked terrified when she first saw him, she still did. Byakuya shielded Rukia from him.

"_Rukia.."_ His voice was tense, as he ignored Byakuya. "Why aren't you home, with your mother? Truth be told, I thought myself mistaken when I smelled you upon entering this… elaborate palace."

"Do not ignore me Kouga." Byakuya took a step forward as he blocked his view from Rukia. Kouga briefly looked at Byakuya before looking back at Rukia again.

"You didn't answer my question, Rukia. Shall I repeat it? Why aren't you with your mother?"

Byakuya looked back to Rukia and saw her fearful expression, her mouth was agape almost wanting to say something but couldn't.

"Leave, Kouga, before you regret it." Byakuya said in a threatening tone. Kouga looked at Byakuya but didn't move.

"So, you have met my daughter have you? She's fairly useless isn't she, has she proved useful in _other_ areas perhaps?" He grinned while he looked at Byakuya, it only fueled his anger towards him. Byakuya noticed Rukia jump behind him slightly. "At least she was blessed to look like a good fuck that's for sure."

"Kouga, get out. **Now.** This is your final warning." Byakuya went forward while unleashing his aura, the fire exploded with energy. Rukia jumped at the sound of the fire, surprise flittering her features. Kouga stood defiant slightly weakened, he was a fool to think that he could take Kuchiki Byakuya.

"Be careful Kuchiki, your powers don't just weaken me…" Kouga looked past Byakuya toward Rukia. Byakuya turned around to find Rukia breathing heavily and leaning on a chair obviously affected by Byakuya's aura. Immediately, Byakuya harnessed his power and went to Rukia.

"_Rukia. Are you okay?"_ Byakuya got to her level and placed a hand on her face, she trembled when he touched her. "I'm not going to hurt you Rukia." He whispered roughly into her ear. "You need to trust me."

"I will leave, but only with my daughter at my side." Byakuya turned away from Rukia and looked toward Kouga.

"That will not happen. Rukia is going to stay here with me. Leave now Kouga before you regret it. I will not stay patient long."

Kouga took a few steps toward Byakuya, testing the situation; Byakuya wasn't in the testing mood. His inner counterpart flew into action and threw Kouga against the wall. Kouga's eyes changed to their reptilian like form. Tightening his hold around Kouga's neck, Byakuya had the strength of twenty men and he wasn't relenting. Gasping, Kouga grabbed Byakuya's arm which was holding him in place and pushed with all his might. It was futile. Byakuya could hear himself growling and feel his inner monster wanting to tear its way through his own human flesh. His nails started elongating into claws and they pierced Kouga's neck. The blood dripped down Kouga's throat and stained his clothes while Kouga looked at Byakuya, still assessing. Finally, hands raised, Kouga surrendered, smile plastered on his face like he had won in some way.

"**_Leave now. Or I will kill you." _**Byakuya's voice had grown deeper and harsher, his dragon voice. His dragon was pushing to come out, to tear into the flesh of this offending lizard in front of him. However Byakuya had loosened his hold on Kouga giving him the opportunity to leave.

"Kill me? One of your own, for _her_? Trust me, she's not worth it. She's **not** one of us." Kouga looked at Byakuya with disdain his voice was obviously affected by the previous lack of air.

"**_I will decide that for myself. Now. Leave." _**Byakuya nodded his head toward the door, while he looked into the eyes of Kouga. He only had a few more seconds before Byakuya's patience wore out completely. Kouga's eyes had reverted back to their original state as he backed away. Byakuya kept his eyes on him, making sure Kouga left. As Kouga was leaving he looked back at Rukia.

"This isn't over with my dear daughter." His voice portrayed with mock endearment. "You will come back to me. You always do." At that he left.

The room was quiet for awhile as tensions died down; Byakuya was still looking at the door where her father had just left. Rukia didn't have words for what she just witnessed. She was so confused. Her father's eyes, turning like that, Byakuya's voice… so unfamiliar to the warm one she had grown so used too. When he finally turned towards her, her breath hitched. His eyes were silver instead of grey and his pupils had grown thin, like a snake's. She watched as he stepped toward her, his eyes turning back to the ones Rukia had become so familiar with. Rukia was shaking as she sat down, trying to regain her strength after the unexpected episode. Byakuya finally reached her and knelt beside her holding her hand. Rukia didn't move, she was trying so hard not to jump back and scream. She wasn't scared of Byakuya, she just didn't understand anything. Her dreams were coming back to her, those horrible nightmares. What did they mean? That horrible thing that she kept seeing, that she kept running from, was real? No. Was her father? If that were true, what did that make her?

Her head started pounding. Bringing her hand up to her forehead, Rukia felt sick.

"Are you okay?" Concern was heard within his voice.

"What are you?" She saw his eyes widen as she asked. They went soft once again as he looked at Rukia. He thought a bit before answering. Rukia just continued to hold his gaze as she waited for an answer.

"The same as you." He smiled slightly before continuing. "I guess there's a lot to talk about. I'll get some tea, just sit here."

Rukia just sat there, speechless. Tonight was going to be a long night.

* * *

**And that's it for Chapter 8!**

I will try to have 9 up soon... I hope I will anyway.. I'm having so much fun with this story. I hope everyone likes it so far! And byaruki moments will be coming in the next chapter, I just needed to get all of this backstory stuff up and out of the way. 

**Anywho, please review! I read them all and love them all! You guys are spectacular and motivate me and keep me smiling! **

**Love ya,**

**`GrandDuchess**


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